Shale oil production surpasses 100,000 b/d Shale growth offsets drop in conventional output September gas output rises 10.6% on year Buenos Aires — Oil and natural gas production in Neuquen, a leading source of the hydrocarbons in Argentina, surged year on year in September, led by the development of the Vaca Muerta shale play, the province’s Department of Energy, Mining and Hydrocarbons said Monday. Vaca Muerta, one of the world’s biggest shale plays, produced 102,174 b/d in September, the department said in a statement. That was equivalent to 66% of the total oil production in Neuquen, the southwestern province that is home to most of Vaca Muerta’s acreage. Total oil production in the province rose 25% on the year to 154,915 b/d in September, and rose slightly from 154,411 b/d in August, it added. Vaca Muerta is helping to pull the country out of a nearly two-decade decline […]