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The Vaca Muerta geological formation is the second unconventional gas resource in the world and the fourth unconventional oil resource, which is extracted using the hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ technique. While many see its exploitation as hope for Argentina’s battered economy, others are concerned about its environmental impact.
Vaca Muerta is located in the province of Neuquén, in Argentine Patagonia, and began to be exploited a little over ten years ago. Since its inception, operations in Vaca Muerta have been expanding; Currently, unconventional oil and gas extraction directly employs about 22,000 people in Neuquén.
In addition to being used for cooking, heating and industry, gas is one of the main fuels used to generate electrical energy in Argentina. That is also why the development of Vaca Muerta has an important economic impact: by having a local supply of gas, savings on imports and export potential are generated.
In that sense, this year a key project was inaugurated: the Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline, which takes gas from Vaca Muerta to the areas with the highest demand in the country. With the gas pipeline now in operation, the Government hopes that around $4 billion can be saved in gas imports and, eventually, exported.
Despite these economic benefits, there are those who consider that the climate crisis is so pressing that the resources that contribute to global warming should stop being exploited as the only way to avoid its worst consequences. And also those who think that the direct impacts of ‘fracking’ are too great.
But those who support the development of Vaca Muerta believe that the commitment to exploit this resource should continue. And they consider that the gas from that formation can be a transition fuel to support the now fragile Argentine economy.
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