It is foreseen that the discovery will allocate a natural gas reserve of 50 years and that it will not only generate investment, but will also guarantee gas supply to all sectors of the industry, even during high demand periods. Preliminary estimations indicate that if the project gets underway in the medium term, the well will produce between four and five million cubic meters of gas, a level similar to what Argentina imports from Bolivia. Along with other major projects, such as the inauguration of the pipeline Transmagallánico this year, the last finding reinforces the supply of CNG in the extensive network of refuelling stations installed throughout the country.
Furthermore, Planning Minister Julio de Vido described the announcement as the greatest discovery in history and that it is just the beginning of a series of statements that will give the country a gas supply of almost a century. “With this increased gas production, Argentina will save USD 500 million annually for the replacement of fuel oil,” explained the official and stated that, despite being non-conventional wells with expensive extraction, consumers will pay the same prices than today.
“With these announcements, our country stands at the forefront of unconventional gas production, significantly increasing the availability of reserves,” said de Vido and remarked that Argentina could be a gas exporter. However, he considered that the country should “produce energy and create industries” instead of exporting. In turn, the governor of Neuquén, Jorge Sapag, added: “This will allow us to move from being a country with gas to a gas producer country.”
