Pumpco‑Bonatti‑Contreras consortium wins $1.2 bn Vaca Muerta pipeline contract

A consortium comprising the U.S. firm Pumpco (a MasTec subsidiary owned by Inter Miami co‑owner Jorge Mas), the Italian contractor Bonatti and the Argentine firm Contreras Hermanos was awarded the construction of two pipelines for the Argentina LNG project. The contract, valued at about US $1.2 billion, covers a 527‑km pair of lines— a 48‑inch gas pipeline and a 24‑inch poly‑pipeline—linking the Meseta Buena Esperanza field in Neuquén with the export terminal at Sierra Grande in Río Negro.

The selection used a blind electronic reverse auction, a first for Vaca Muerta energy infrastructure, where the two final bidders lowered their offers in real time without knowing each other’s price. The price became the decisive factor, leading to the defeat of the long‑standing Techint‑Sacde consortium for the second consecutive Vaca Muerta licitation; its bid was roughly 15 % higher. The award still requires formal signing within the next 20‑30 days, and construction will commence after the final investment decision expected in late 2026 or early 2027.