News of oil

Milei vows appeal amid fallout as US judge orders transfer of YPF shares

01-07-2025 11:12 President vows to appeal as US judge orders Argentina to hand over 51% of shares in YPF in expropriation case; Milei points finger at Kicillof, Fernández de Kirchner as fears over ruling impact grow.

AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY

China is said seeking Argentina crops as it skirts US tariffs

09-05-2025 08:31 China signed a letter of intent with exporters in Argentina to buy about US$900 million of soybeans, corn and vegetable oil.

ENERGY & GAS

JPMorgan, Citi among banks in talks for Argentina pipeline loan

25-04-2025 11:14 Money would fund Vaca Muerta Sur, featuring a pipeline running from Argentina’s shale heartland across northern Patagonia to the Atlantic coast.

ENERGY & GAS

Governors seek Vaca Muerta investments at Texas energy summit

23-04-2025 11:12 Leaders from four provinces in Argentina – Río Negro, Neuquén, Mendoza and Córdoba – aim to showcase their competitiveness to the global oil elite in Texas at the Offshore Technology Conference.

by Eugenia Muzio

ENERGY & GAS

Vista buys Petronas’ Argentina oil stake in US$1.5-billion deal

16-04-2025 12:25 Deal all but cements exit of Malaysia’s Petronas; It’s also a sign that development of Vaca Muerta will increasingly be spearheaded by homegrown drillers.

ENERGY & GAS

PAE confirms shale gas reserves in Chubut Province

15-04-2025 16:51 Pan American Energy to invest US$250 million in project to exploit shale gas findings in Cerro Dragon field, says Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres.

ENERGY & GAS

Petronas is evaluating exit from Argentina shale oil venture

13-03-2025 23:39 Petronas has begun a process that may result in a sale of its 50 percent stake in La Amarga Chica, a venture with state-run YPF in the oil production heartland of Vaca Muerta.

BOND SALE

Neuquén Province ponders bond sale after investor meets

24-02-2025 16:42 The Patagonian province known for its prolific shale oil industry considers an international bond sale after private deliberations with funds including Blackrock and Neuberger Berman in New York and London.

ENERGY & GAS

Argentine oil output is poised to oust Colombia from South America’s top three

09-12-2024 16:26 A shale-drilling frenzy in Argentina has put the country on the verge of leapfrogging regional rival Colombia as a top-three crude producer in South America.

Argentina Shale FLNG

Argentina LNG export project gathers backing from shale drillers

04-12-2024 13:18 Argentina has a plan to export liquefied natural gas, with drillers in shale patches now signed to supply fuel. This would be a US$3-billion liquefaction project.

ypf nationalisation case

Burford open to Argentine bonds for US$16-billion judgement

08-11-2024 19:36 Burford Capital, which won a US$16-billion judgement against Argentina over its nationalisation of energy firm YPF SA more than a decade ago are open to receiving payment in bonds instead of cash.

BUSINESS & INVESTMENT

BP venture eyes investment to make green jet fuel in Argentina

06-11-2024 11:40 The Pan American Energy Group is mulling an investment to make clean jet fuel at its refinery outside Buenos Aires.

CHANGES TO GOVERNMENT

PRO gains another spot in government as energy secretary resigns

17-10-2024 16:22 Eduardo Chirillo resigns as energy secretary; María del Carmen Tettamanti, former chief of Camuzzi gas distributor and advisor to Patricia Bullrich, appointed to post.

ENERGY & GAS

Bolivia natural gas shortage sends economy teetering

09-10-2024 13:57 Bolivia's once powerful natural gas industry is now on the verge of collapse as a result of a lack of investment and maintenance. The fall of the state-supported industry has sent shockwaves through Bolivia's economy.

ENERGY & GAS

Oil workers strike after death after Vaca Muerta drilling field

09-10-2024 11:20 Vista Energy reports death of Miguel Fernández, 40, following an accident at Bajada del Palo Oeste field at Vaca Muerta formation; Unionised workers stage protest as they demand “no for more deaths” and call for more investment in safety.

MINING & GAS

YPF eyes sale of lithium unit as focus narrows on shale ramp-up

31-08-2024 17:12 State-run oil company YPF SA is considering a sale of its lithium unit as part of a sweeping divestment strategy to streamline investments into Vaca Muerta shale patch.

ENERGY & GAS

Petrobras eyes Argentina deals to boost energy imports

26-08-2024 14:42 Brazil’s state-controlled oil producer Petrobras is hunting for shale gas deals in Argentina.

ENERGY & GAS

YPF moves to sell units as it ramps up divestments in shale push

09-08-2024 15:48 State-run oil company, YPF SA, is moving to sell several business units and stakes as its divestment plan kicks in.

GAS & ENERGY

Milei in Neuquén to tour Vaca Muerta, meet businessmen

08-08-2024 19:09 President Javier Milei visits Neuquén, heart of energy production, and crosses over to Chile for the first time as head of state – but without holding a bilateral meeting with Gabriel Boric.

EDITORIAL

Looking North but also South

03-08-2024 14:23 While the post-electoral turmoil in Venezuela overshadowed any domestic agenda, this editorial will also view the week’s one clear decision – the choice of Río Negro over Buenos Aires Province as the location of the plant to convert Vaca Muerta shale into liquefied natural gas.

ENERGY & GAS

YPF in talks with energy transfer to fund Argentina pipeline

20-07-2024 18:12 Argentine crude driller YPF SA has held talks with US pipeline company Energy Transfer LP to finance a cross-country pipeline that could ramp up shale oil exports.

ENERGY & GAS

Vista reaps more from crude sales as Argentina frees oil markets

12-07-2024 16:11 Shale driller Vista Energy charged export prices for more than 40% of crude that it sold to domestic refiners in the second quarter.

AMERICAS

Venezuela's Maduro says talks to resume with United States

02-07-2024 11:09 Nicolás Maduro on Monday announced the resumption of dialogue with the United States.

ENERGY & GAS

Declining gas giant eyes new role piping Argentine gas to Brazil

20-06-2024 15:03 Bolivia is offering its pipelines to transport natural gas from Argentina’s Vaca Muerta field to Brazil.

LABOUR TENSIONS

Argentina’s union calls strike, to affect Vaca Muerta production

16-06-2024 08:39 The Union of Private Oil and Gas Workers says it will hold a 48-hour strike starting Tuesday.

OIL & GAS

Oil driller Vista Energy to import new frack set in SLB deal

11-06-2024 11:44 Argentine oil driller Vista Energy signed an agreement with SLB to import a new fracking array during the second half of this year to help boost production in the Vaca Muerta shale region.

OIL & GAS

Oil driller Aconcagua eyes Argentina IPO as Milei lures capital

04-06-2024 15:07 President’s move to open up economy creates market opportunity; Gas company did first local listing since 2017 earlier in year.

OIL & GAS

Oil driller’s 1,400% world-beating rally hinges on Milei reforms

23-05-2024 13:52 Vista Energy boss Miguel Galuccio knows shale. But his plans lie in the hands of President Javier Milei.

STATE ENERGY FIRM

Burford seeks Argentina’s YPF stake to pay US$16-billion award

22-04-2024 20:29 Burford Capital asks US judge to grant it controlling 51% stake in YPF as part of its effort to collect on a US$16-billion court judegment.

ENERGY & GAS

YPF says fire sale to free up US$800 million for shale oil push

07-03-2024 17:51 State-run YPF SA says its sweeping plan to divest ageing oil fields will free up US$800 million to invest in renewed Vaca Muerta shale push formation.

YPF RULING

Argentina’s US$18-billion Chinese FX line eyed for US YPF judgement

29-02-2024 00:15 Burford Capital, trying to collect on a US$16-billion US court judgement against Argentina, is exploring whether a currency swap line with China could be used to satisfy the debt.

POLITICS

Milei’s bold decree teeters as Argentina's provinces resist

27-02-2024 19:21 Growing opposition to President Javier Milei’s sweeping decree in the Senate puts it at risk of being overturned as regular sessions get underway next week.

FOCUS ON VENEZUELA

Venezuela calls in oil debt it once traded away for literal beans

26-02-2024 10:56 Impoverished and desperate for cash, Venezuela is trying to collect old debts from the Petrocaribe oil exchange programme.

OIL & GAS

Exxon to weigh US$1 billion sale of Argentina shale assets

24-02-2024 19:15 Exxon Mobil is mulling bids for its Argentine shale assets as the US energy giant looks to unwind its bet.

POLITICS

Provincial governments threaten oil supply cuts in dispute with Milei

24-02-2024 19:02 "Not a drop of oil will come out on Wednesday if they don't respect the provinces once and for all and take their foot off our back," declares Chubut Province Governor Ignacio Torres, backed by five other provincial goverrnments.

ENERGY & GAS

Argentina shale driller Vista eyes Exxon assets in growth push

21-02-2024 15:58 Shale oil producer Vista Energy eyeing assets put up for sale by Exxon Mobil Corp as it looks to accelerate growth in Vaca Muerta formation.

ENERGY & GAS

YPF plans sweeping asset sale to focus on Argentina shale

07-02-2024 11:38 Argentina’s biggest oil company, state-run YPF SA, is planning a sweeping asset sale to sharpen its focus on shale production and boost its share price.

OIL & GAS

President's plan to free oil market slows in Congress

28-01-2024 10:08 At issue is the government’s ability to stop drillers from exporting cargoes of crude if it’s concerned about shortages at domestic refineries.

Congress

Milei suspends plan to privatise Argentina state oil company YPF

22-01-2024 13:18 Privatisation of state-run oil company YFP has been cut from President Javier Milei sweeping reform bill in Congress negotiations.

OIL & GAS

State energy firm YPF out of Milei’s privatisation crosshairs

19-01-2024 19:26 State-owned oil firm will not be privatised by Javier Milei’s government, after his party reached an agreement with opposed lawmakers to smooth overall passage of Omnibus bill.

ypf nationalisation case

Blow for Argentina as court rules against nation in YPF nationalisation case

11-01-2024 17:12 US Judge Loretta Preska rejects the motion for extension by the government and confirms January 10 was deadline to provide guarantees; Plaintiffs can now seek seizure of assets for compliance.

ypf nationalisation case

Argentina’s US$16.1-billion YPF judgement is now open to collection

11-01-2024 16:12 US judge rules against Argentina's bid to push back collection efforts for US$16.1-billion court judgement related to its 2012 takeover of oil company YPF SA.

ENERGY & GAS

Javier Milei seeks free oil markets by law in shale-rich Argentina

29-12-2023 21:23 Milei wants to unshackle crude exports and leave local fuel prices at the whim of market forces.

BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS

Perpetual bonds unlikely to be the answer in YPF case

28-12-2023 00:35 Javier Milei’s suggestion that Argentina could issue debt to comply with a US$16-billion lawsuit award related to the nationalisation of oil company YPF has met with scepticism from investors.

BLOOMBERG

Milei taps oil vet to run state energy firm YPF

23-11-2023 14:48 Milei plans to tap Horacio Marín, a 35-year industry veteran who has worked in the US and South America, to become president and chief executive officer of YPF SA.

US COURTS

Argentina gets delay on payment of US$16.1 billion in YPF case

23-11-2023 13:06 Judge agrees to temporarily delay enforcement of a US$16.1 billion court judgment against Argentina over its 2012 expropriation of oil company YPF.

PRIVATISATION PLANS

Oil driller YPF surges as victorious Milei touts privatisation

20-11-2023 17:46 YPF SA surges following election of Javier Milei, who says he plans to privatise the state-owned oil and gas producer and remove controls stymieing the sector.

OIL & GAS

Government pushes oil companies amid fuel shortages, protests

30-10-2023 17:40 Long car queues to fill up and stations with “no petrol” signs have been part of the landscape in recent days in Argentina; Government pushes oil companies to speed up supply and agricultural producers warn about protests three weeks ahead of the presidential run-off.