Implicaciones de la producción de shale oil & gas en las áreas de las cuencas hidrográficas de Vaca Muerta, Argentina

The document examines the intersection of unconventional hydrocarbon extraction and water security in the Vaca Muerta region, highlighting risks from wastewater management and climate-driven water scarcity.

• Climate change is projected to reduce water availability in the Vaca Muerta region, with RCP8.5 scenarios predicting precipitation decreases of 20% for the Limay basin and 30%-35% for the Neuquén basin by the end of the 21st century.
• While shale production uses a relatively small proportion of the region's total water (less than 1%), it creates significant wastewater risks. A single well is estimated to consume approximately 50,350 m3 of water over its 30-year lifespan, with the majority used in the first six months.
• Wastewater management in Vaca Muerta is currently insufficient, with reports indicating that less than 5% of produced wastewater is treated and reused for hydraulic fracturing.
• There is a high risk of water contamination from both injection fluids (containing chemicals like biocides and friction reducers) and naturally occurring substances in the shale formation, such as heavy metals and radioactive materials.
• The regulatory environment is fragmented across provinces, leading to inconsistent management. In Neuquén, monitoring capacity is notably low, with only one inspector per 100 active wells, compared to one per 10 in the United States.

APA

Forni, L., Mautner, M., Lavado, A., Burke, K. F., & Gomez, R. D. (2021). Implicaciones de la producción de shale oil & gas en las áreas de las cuencas hidrográficas de Vaca Muerta, Argentina. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210504a-yehle-ortiz-vaca-muerta-spanish-2105a10248.pdf

Chicago

Forni, Laura, Marina Mautner, Angela Lavado, Kathleen Fitzpatrick Burke, and Romina Diaz Gomez. Implicaciones de la producción de shale oil & gas en las áreas de las cuencas hidrográficas de Vaca Muerta, Argentina. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210504a-yehle-ortiz-vaca-muerta-spanish-2105a10248.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Forni |first1=Laura |last2=Mautner |first2=Marina |last3=Lavado |first3=Angela |last4=Burke |first4=Kathleen Fitzpatrick |last5=Gomez |first5=Romina Diaz |title=Implicaciones de la producción de shale oil & gas en las áreas de las cuencas hidrográficas de Vaca Muerta, Argentina |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210504a-yehle-ortiz-vaca-muerta-spanish-2105a10248.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forni2021implicaciones, author = {Forni, Laura and Mautner, Marina and Lavado, Angela and Burke, Kathleen Fitzpatrick and Gomez, Romina Diaz}, title = {{Implicaciones de la producción de shale oil \& gas en las áreas de las cuencas hidrográficas de Vaca Muerta, Argentina}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210504a-yehle-ortiz-vaca-muerta-spanish-2105a10248.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }