Argentina LNG project seeks RIGI status with US$51 billion investment

Argentina LNG Vaca Muerta RIGI liquefied natural gas YPF

YPF, in partnership with Italy’s Eni and the UAE-based XRG, has applied to join Argentina’s Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) for the ‘Argentina LNG’ project. The initiative, which aims to transform natural gas from the Vaca Muerta formation into liquefied natural gas (LNG) for international export, involves an estimated total investment of US$51 billion.

The project includes gas production in Neuquén, dedicated transport infrastructure, processing plants, and two floating liquefaction units (FLNG) with a combined capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum. These units are expected to operate off the coast of Río Negro in the San Matías Gulf by 2031. The consortium anticipates the project will generate approximately US$10 billion in annual export revenues over two decades.

Economic impacts include the creation of roughly 20,000 annual jobs during the construction phase (2026–2030) and approximately 8,000 permanent jobs during the operational phase. Additionally, the project expects to contract US$15 billion in goods and services from national suppliers.

Argentine Economy Minister Luis Caputo noted that total projects presented under the RIGI regime have already reached nearly US$150 billion, highlighting the regime's role in attracting large-scale capital to the country.

Entities

Argentina · Bolivia · Eni · José Luis Galvez · Luis Caputo · RIGI · Rodrigo Paz · Vaca Muerta · XRG · YPF

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 10 SOURCES] The project will utilize two floating liquefaction units (FLNG) with a combined capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum. labandadiario.com · diariosanrafael.com.ar · www.elpaisdiario.com.ar · hoydia.com.ar · economis.com.ar · +5 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Total projects presented under the RIGI regime have reached nearly US$150 billion. airevision.com.ar · www.valorlocal.com.ar
[● 10 SOURCES] The total investment for the Argentina LNG project is estimated at US$51 billion. labandadiario.com · diariosanrafael.com.ar · www.elpaisdiario.com.ar · hoydia.com.ar · economis.com.ar · +5 more
[● 12 SOURCES] The consortium has applied to join Argentina's Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) for the Argentina LNG project. labandadiario.com · diariosanrafael.com.ar · www.elpaisdiario.com.ar · hoydia.com.ar · economis.com.ar · +7 more
[● 5 SOURCES] The project aims to generate annual export revenues of approximately US$10 billion. diariosanrafael.com.ar · hoydia.com.ar · sapo.pt · diariopanorama.com · tn.com.ar
[● 5 SOURCES] The project is expected to generate approximately 20,000 annual jobs during the construction phase (2026-2030). labandadiario.com · diariosanrafael.com.ar · hoydia.com.ar · economis.com.ar · tn.com.ar