Argentina Opens 15 New Drilling Blocks in Vaca Muerta Shale
Neuquén province has put 15 unconventional exploration blocks in Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale basin up for bid, with sealed offers opened on August 19, 2026. The post Argentina Opens 15 New Drilling Blocks in Vaca Muerta Shale appeared first on The Rio Times .
Argentina has opened sealed bidding for 15 new exploration blocks in the Vaca Muerta shale basin, marking the largest acreage auction in the region since 2016. Located in Neuquén province, the auction was unveiled at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, with all 15 blocks deemed unconventional, targeting the Vaca Muerta shale itself as well as the Quintuco and Los Molles layers.
Each bidder must pay a cash access bonus of at least US$500,000 per block, with royalties starting at 15% and a maximum of 18%. The province retains a carried stake of 10% to 20% in each block, while bidders commit to "work units" worth US$5,000 each, counted per kilometer of seismic and per meter drilled. The tender aims to encourage active exploration and development in the vast, untapped resource, which is projected to hold around 16 billion barrels of oil and 308 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Successful bids could start production as early as Q3 2026, with potential output scaling to 550,000 barrels per day by 2027. The auction presents a significant opportunity for oil and gas companies, as Vaca Muerta supplies roughly 68% of Argentina's oil and 67% of its gas, contributing significantly to the country's energy trade surplus and economic growth.
Written by urgent.news from The Rio Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
