YPF

YPF’s data analytics experts are eagerly seeking partnerships with oilfield operations experts who can help blend elegant data analysis with the messy reality of oil production.

The firms are now partners on multiple blocks in the North Argentina Basin.

Fast-declining, older, unconventional oil wells require artificial lift experts to deal with and explore a population of miles-long horizontal wells that do not follow the established rules of thumb.

YPF has followed an unconventional path up the learning curve to develop the Vaca Muerta, which could be the first big ultratight play developed outside North America.

Añelo is a small town in an arid, sparsely populated area with a new supermarket, police station, bank, skate park, hotel, and hospital. In the past decade the population has roughly tripled to 7,000, and in 5 years, it is expected to nearly triple again to 20,000.

After Gustavo Astie, executive manager for ­unconventionals at YPF, presented what he thought was an aggressive growth plan for the coming year to YPF management, he was asked: Would it be possible to go faster?

A drive down a gravel road in the Loma Campana follows the steep early learning curve in the Vaca Muerta.

It is easy to fixate on what it will take to extract huge volumes of oil and gas from the nearly impermeable rock within the Vaca Muerta.

Shale explorers in Argentina are reporting that improving performance and activity is set to rise this year to boost the country’s gas production.