Tucumán, Argentina halts industrial gas supply amid cold snap and price surge

Naturgy halted the supply of natural gas to five service stations in Tucumán, citing a sharp rise in residential demand that strained the transport system from the Neuquén basin. The same distributor later reduced industrial gas consumption in the province to zero under a "ramp of cut zero" regime, prioritising homes, hospitals and schools as a polar cold front spread.

The Union Industrial of Tucumán reported that factories are forced to pay gas at roughly $27 per MMBtu, about nine times higher than rates in central and southern Argentina. The group demanded clarification from the national Energy Secretariat and called for equitable pricing and infrastructure investment.

In the province of Buenos Aires, long queues for compressed natural gas (GNC) persisted at stations in La Plata and surrounding towns, with drivers and taxi operators facing extended waiting times despite the addition of new supply points. The situation remains unresolved as authorities monitor gas availability.