Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS)
An oil pipeline of more than 600 km connects Añelo (Neuquén) with Punta Colorada (Río Negro), where a deep-water port is planned for crude oil exports. The consortium is led by YPF, with participation from Pan American Energy (majority-owned by the British company BP), Vista, Chevron, Shell, among others.
This project was approved in sections, with partial environmental assessments that prevented a comprehensive analysis of its impacts. In its final stage, it aims to export up to 700,000 barrels per day, equivalent to nearly the entire national crude production in 2024. Construction has already begun, even though the port infrastructure has not yet received final approval.
The proposed port is located in a sensitive area of the San Matías Gulf, rich in marine biodiversity and vital for local fishing and tourism. The scientific community and socio-environmental organizations have highlighted the lack of cumulative studies and the limited scope of participatory mechanisms.
Infografía
Floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) plants generate far-reaching environmental and social impacts.
They alter the temperature and salinity of seawater due to the industrial processes of liquefaction and regasification, disrupting sensitive ecosystems and affecting species that depend on stable conditions.
They emit methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas that not only contributes to global warming but also promotes the formation of tropospheric ozone, a pollutant that impairs lung function, worsens respiratory diseases, and reduces the yield of various crops.
They increase maritime traffic in critical areas for the reproduction, feeding, and migration of marine wildlife, such as the southern right whale, raising the risk of collisions and acoustic disturbances that affect their behavior.
Far from being harmless, these projects entail a profound transformation of marine and coastal environments, with consequences for biodiversity, human health, and food security.
Southern Energy
A gas export project using floating liquefaction vessels is planned off Las Grutas, a tourist town on the San Matías Gulf. Driven by Pan American Energy, Golar LNG, and YPF, it involves the installation of two floating units: one operating with gas from the Austral Basin, and another that would require a pipeline of over 600 km from Vaca Muerta.
The public hearing was limited, and the impact study presented did not include the complete version of the project. Subsequently, technical information was modified without a new evaluation. Cumulative impacts are omitted, and the overlap with other economic and ecological activities in the region is not considered.
FLNG vessels alter water temperature and salinity and increase methane emissions, a highly potent greenhouse gas. They also intensify maritime traffic in areas critical for the reproduction and migration of emblematic species, such as the
Argentina LNG
A project led by YPF and Shell aims to install up to six liquefaction vessels in the San Matías Gulf. Although it has not yet been formally approved or incorporated into the RIGI, it is presented as a “next phase” of the Southern Energy project.
Argentina LNG revives a previous idea to build an onshore plant in partnership with Petronas, but it was later reformulated to focus on more floating units. This is a mega-project with significant impacts on the marine environment, human health, and coastal dynamics, and it provides little transparency regarding its real costs and benefits.
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