YPF confirmed it will invest only in Vaca Muerta starting in 2026.

YPF made the decision to sell its conventional fields to bet everything on the black gold of Vaca Muerta. The company confirmed that starting in 2026 it will invest only in that region

This was confirmed by Horacio Marín, CEO of the company, during his participation in an event organized by the Argentine Institute of Oil and Gas (IAPG) in Houston, where he emphasized the oil company's decision to focus solely on the development of unconventional resources in Vaca Muerta.

This change in the company's strategy responds to a reorientation toward areas of greater profitability and growth potential, leaving behind operations in mature fields.

The transition to Vaca Muerta will begin with the divestment of 55 fields under the framework of the Andes project. In this regard, YPF has advanced in the sale of blocks in various provinces such as Mendoza, Neuquén, Río Negro, and Chubut, in addition to negotiations to transfer fields in Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.

These operations are expected to be completed in the coming weeks. In the case of Santa Cruz, the blocks will be managed by Fomicruz, the provincial state company, which will seek to reconcession them by mid-2025.

Meanwhile, in Tierra del Fuego, YPF is closing the bidding process for several blocks, although Marín commented on the complexities involved in the contract conditions, which included high additional costs for the company.

In this context, Marín explained that the transfer of mature fields to the provinces represents an unprecedented process since the constitutional reform of 1994.

In fact, he highlighted that this operation will serve as a test case for other companies in the future, especially in those cases where liabilities exceed assets, as was the case with YPF in Tierra del Fuego.

In this regard, the company is negotiating with the provinces to ensure compliance with the obligation to revert dry wells, a key step to avoid future uncontrolled liabilities.

Meanwhile, YPF continues to consolidate its position in Vaca Muerta, and days ago it received new unconventional concessions from the government of Neuquén.

The company was awarded the blocks La Angostura Sur I and II, Narambuena, and Aguada de la Arena, with a clear objective: to strengthen its leadership in the region, framed within the company's 4x4 strategy.

These new blocks will allow YPF to increase its production, mainly of oil, with a strong focus on export. According to Marín, the start of construction of the Vaca Muerta Sur pipeline is key to accelerating developments in these blocks, which will generate a significant contribution of foreign currency for the country in the coming years.

The new concessions

La Angostura Sur I and II: Detached from the Loma la Lata concession, the La Angostura Sur I block covers 249 square kilometers, while La Angostura Sur II occupies 103.4 square kilometers. Both blocks are located within the oil zone of Vaca Muerta.

Narambuena: Derived from the Chihuido de la Sierra Negra concession, with an area of 212.8 square kilometers.

Aguada de la Arena: Located in the gas window of Vaca Muerta, with 111 square kilometers.

With these actions, YPF advances in consolidating its expansion project in Vaca Muerta, one of the most promising unconventional formations in the world, with a crucial impact on Argentina's energy production and its economy.