Oil and gas production in Vaca Muerta allows Neuquén to achieve new records every month. In July, The province achieved a new historical record in gas production with 109.06 million cubic meters per day (MMm3/day). Meanwhile, oil production reached 413,140 barrels per day in July, almost 100,000 barrels more than in July 2023. Thus, it achieved the highest hydrocarbon production in the 105 years of activity in the region.
The data comes from official records from the National Energy Secretariat. At the national level, oil production reached 683,729 barrels and Neuquén accounts for 60% of that total. In gas, Argentina obtained 151.7 MMm3/day. Of this total, The province’s production represents 72%.
Thus, Neuquén is positioned as a protagonist among the jurisdictions thanks to the unconventional production that comes from Vaca Muerta. In June, the registry had marked a new record in oil by reaching 400,931 barrels per day. The growth, Compared to this month, it is 3% with 12,209 more barrels per day.
While in the year-on-year comparison, in July 2023 oil reached an average of 321,304 barrels per day. One year later, the basin produces almost 100,000 more barrels of crude oil per day (91,836 bbl/day).
The Neuquén Basin has with greater evacuation capacity availabledue to the expansion being carried out by Oleoductos del Valle (Oldelval) through its Duplicar Plus programme, which will be completed early next year.
At the same time, the activity shows signs of growth due to the arrival of drilling equipment and fracturing sets in recent months and which are already bearing fruit. An example is The fracturing pump set brought by the Calfrac service companywhich began operations this month and has already completed 160 fracturing stages, a key indicator for determining the level of activity.
Compared to last month, lThe main operators showed increases in their production in line with their objectives before the end of the year. Without going any further, the majority state-owned oil company YPF, one of the major players in the province, reached a total of no less than 225,545 barrels per day in Neuquén in July, 5% more than in June. In numbers, that’s about 11,838 more barrels per day.
Thanks to Vaca Muerta, Neuquén broke the gas production record
Gas production in the province reached historic highs. According to data from the Energy Secretariat, Neuquén obtained an average of 109.06 million cubic meters per day in Julywhile in June it was 104.23 MMm3/day. That is, there was an increase of 4.03 MMm3/day, which represents an increase of 4.6%.
This is the second highest record in the province which comes from the increase in the transport capacity of the President Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline. This increase is explained by the start-up of the compressor plant located in Tratayén, on Vaca Muerta, which allowed for an increase The volume transported is from 11 to 16 million m3 per day.
The jump was expected in these months depending on the increase in demand that is recorded with the beginning of winter. The province thus breaking all records recorded in the 106 years of oil activity in the region.
In the year-on-year comparison, defined by the seasonal demand for gas in the face of low temperatures, Gas production increased by 19.2%. In July 2023 it was 91.42 MMm3/day in Neuquén.
2024-08-20 16:27:59