YPF carried out the first hydraulic fracturing in La Amarga Chica using CNG produced and transported entirely by the company, reducing costs and increasing efficiency
The project includes the creation of “YPF Directo CNG”, an initiative that will allow the company to offer gas to other operators, industries without pipeline connections, and heavy transport fleets that use CNG. This way, the experience developed in Vaca Muerta can be scaled and diversified into other segments of the energy market.
YPF has reached a new milestone in Vaca Muerta by completing the first fracturing operation supplied with compressed natural gas (CNG) that was produced, dispatched, and transported entirely by the company. The procedure was carried out in the La Amarga Chica block, where a bifuel fracturing set powered by a mixture of diesel and gas was used.
This achievement not only marks a technological breakthrough in the development of unconventional hydrocarbons, but also opens a new stage in the oil company's operational efficiency strategy.
The operation was made possible by the commissioning of a bulk loading station in Añelo, designed to ensure the continuous and safe dispatch of gas. The fuel comes from YPF's direct production in Vaca Muerta, is then compressed at the plant, and finally transported to the operation area.
The use of proprietary gas generates significant savings in well costs, as it reduces dependence on diesel and optimizes available resources. This scheme also improves energy security by relying less on external suppliers and maintaining full control over the supply chain.
This model opens new business opportunities at a time when the energy transition demands greater sustainability, competitiveness, and efficiency.
With this progress, YPF reaffirms its leadership in innovation and in the use of technologies aimed at reducing costs and emissions in the energy sector. The use of proprietary gas as an alternative energy source helps reduce the carbon footprint of operations and positions Vaca Muerta as a benchmark for innovation in the region.
The company emphasized that this step is part of a broader strategy aimed at combining profitability with sustainability, consolidating its role as a driver of energy and technological development in Argentina.
