YPF said in a statement that the agreement aims to create “conditions of predictability and competitiveness to advance a strategic initiative for the country.”
Within this framework, YPF commits to making infrastructure investments totaling approximately $175 million, aimed at supporting the project’s development and boosting the economic impact in the province, it said.
YPF said the agreement’s entry into force remains subject to both legislative approval and the adoption of the project’s final investment decision (FID).
With this agreement, Neuquén and YPF are advancing the consolidation of a development framework that will enable the “monetization of Vaca Muerta’s resources, promote job creation, and strengthen Argentina’s position as a global energy supplier.”
Earlier this year, YPF and the government of the province of Río Negro signed a framework agreement establishing the regulatory and institutional cooperation framework aimed at promoting the development of the Argentina LNG project.
In February, Adnoc’s investment unit XRG signed a binding agreement with YPF and Italian energy firm Eni to join the 12 mtpa phase of the integrated Argentina LNG project.
Under the agreement, the partners will commence front-end engineering design (FEED) and related activities, including engineering, technical structuring and key commercial and financing workstreams.
The LNG project is expected to deliver 12 mtpa of LNG capacity, via two floating LNG facilities with a capacity of 6 mtpa each.
Eni signed the final technical project description with YPF in October 2025 for this phase of the latter’s Argentina LNG export project.
The partners plan to reach FID during the second half of 2026.
