A recent estimate suggests that Argentina’s hydrocarbon output may be on track for a record year. A report indicates that the nation is poised to achieve its peak oil production level of the century thus far, along with unprecedented gas production in 2025. The increase in “unconventional oil and gas production” driven by the Neuquén basin, especially the shale-rich Vaca Muerta, this year. It was observed that “national gas and oil production increased by four percent and 11 percent respectively when comparing January to July this year with the same period in 2024.”
As of 2025, “60 percent of the oil extracted in Argentina has been unconventional oil,” a significant increase from less than 25 percent in 2020 and under five percent in 2015. In light of this context, the report anticipated that oil production in Argentina by 2025 would reach “the highest of the century, a peak since 1998 and the third-highest ever recorded.” Gas production may achieve unprecedented levels, as indicated. The report indicates that output growth has been bolstered by the finalization of energy transport infrastructure projects, enhancing shipment capacity and facilitating access to new markets for production.
In the regional context, the report emphasized potential growth avenues following a significant drop in Bolivian gas production. The potential impact of the Vaca Muerta Sur Oil Pipeline is also highlighted, as it will enhance oil export capacity through the South Atlantic. Analyzing the data, the report emphasized that “the difference between energy exports and imports is currently the highest of the century.”
Energy exports increased by approximately 11 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same timeframe last year, whereas energy imports decreased by over 23 percent year-on-year. Gas imports experienced a significant decline of “46 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025.”