Vaca Muerta Oil Boom Could Change Argentina's Economic Landscape

In a surprise development, there are indications that the economically strife-torn country of Argentina will emerge as a major regional energy player. The exploitation of the 7.5 million Vaca Muerta shale formation has delivered an unconventional hydrocarbon boom for Argentina, a fiscally fragile nation once dependent on oil and gas imports. After a decade of development, the geological formation, which has been compared to the prolific U.S. Eagle Ford and Permian shales, is now responsible for nearly half of Argentina’s oil output and 60%…