Argentina’s abundant shale resources have attracted a growing number of major international companies since the beginning of this year—all of them interested in developing the prized Vaca Muerta shale formation; but mid-term elections are making everyone nervous, and a change in the current pro-business climate could mean bust rather than boom for shale. Much is at stake. Vaca Muerta is thought to be a highly prolific basin, and even though it’s in the early stage of development, well performance there is already catching up with some U.S. shale plays. A lot of investment would be needed for a play-wide development at Vaca Muerta, but attracting investment and luring more and more experienced drillers to the country hinges on Argentina’s energy, tax, and pro-business policies. Currently, right-of-center President Mauricio Macri is betting big on welcoming more foreign investment into Vaca Muerta. He’s introducing various reforms to make doing business in […]