Argentina's Rio Negro and Neuquén drive Vaca Muerta energy projects

Governor Alberto Weretilneck of Rio Negro opened the 13th EnergiaON forum stressing that massive energy projects must create jobs and infrastructure for locals. He outlined the $3 billion Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS) pipeline, a 600‑km line linking Añelo in Neuquén to the Punta Colorada port in Rio Negro with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, and detailed LNG plans including Southern Energy’s 6 Mt yr⁻¹ plant ($7 billion) and the Argentina LNG floating‑LNG project valued at $30 billion and capable of 12 Mt yr⁻¹.

Neuquén mayor Mariano Gaido, speaking at the same event, described the city’s rapid growth driven by the Vaca Muerta boom. He noted six new families arrive each week, 120 new buildings under construction, and a $40 million investment in a scientific‑technological hub. He announced a municipal solar park, a new industrial park near Route 67 slated for 1,000 firms, and a $100 million upgrade of the former Avenida Mosconi, employing over a thousand workers directly and thousands indirectly. Gaido emphasised the need for coordinated public policies to plan and finish city‑wide infrastructure by 2026.