Vaca Muerta: notes from the field

Wood Mackenzie's Latin America upstream research team visited Buenos Aires and Neuquen. We toured YPF's Loma Campana and Vista Oil and Gas's Bajada del Palo fields and met operators and service companies to understand the latest trends in the play. Well productivity is showing improvement, as tighter completions as tested. Companies expect a 25% increase in wells' productivity as soon as next year. Although the focus is to boost production, the shift towards the shale oil window was evident, hitting the brakes on the rapid increase in gas production. The quick shift from gas to oil highlights market challenges. Enhanced completions are expected to bring further growth, further evidence that Argentina changes are needed to accommodate operators' hunger for growth.