Watershed implications of shale oil and gas production in Vaca Muerta, Argentina

The paper examines the water-energy nexus in Argentina's Vaca Muerta region, highlighting that while shale production uses a small percentage of total water, its wastewater management poses significant pollution risks. These risks are compounded by climate change projections of decreased precipitation and increasing competition for water from agriculture and urban growth. The authors argue for an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach to replace the current fragmented provincial regulatory system.

• Climate change is projected to reduce water availability in the Vaca Muerta region, with RCP8.5 scenarios predicting a 20% decrease in precipitation for the Limay basin and a 30%-35% decrease for the Neuquén basin by the end of the 21st century.
• While shale oil and gas production currently accounts for less than 1% of total regional water use, demand is expected to rise with industry expansion. If over 1,000 wells are drilled annually after 2035, the region could require more than 50 million m3 of water per year.
• Wastewater management in Vaca Muerta is currently insufficient, with estimates indicating that less than 5% of unconventional oil and gas production wastewater is treated and reused for hydraulic fracturing.
• The region faces significant water quality risks due to the composition of fracking fluids and naturally occurring formation water, which can contain heavy metals, salts, and volatile compounds. These risks are exacerbated by a history of crude oil spills and illegal dumping of industry wastes.
• The current regulatory environment is fragmented because each province manages its own environmental legislature and water supply, leading to inconsistent management and limited technical capacity for monitoring.

APA

Forni, L., Mautner, M., Lavado, A., Burke, K. F., & Gomez, R. D. (2021). Watershed implications of shale oil and gas production in Vaca Muerta, Argentina. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/watershed-implications-of-shale-oil-and-gas-production-in-vaca-muerta.pdf

Chicago

Forni, Laura, Marina Mautner, Angela Lavado, Kathleen Fitzpatrick Burke, and Romina Diaz Gomez. Watershed implications of shale oil and gas production in Vaca Muerta, Argentina. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/watershed-implications-of-shale-oil-and-gas-production-in-vaca-muerta.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=Watershed implications of shale oil and gas production in Vaca Muerta, Argentina |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=April 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/watershed-implications-of-shale-oil-and-gas-production-in-vaca-muerta.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forni2021watershed, author = {Forni, Laura and Mautner, Marina and Lavado, Angela and Burke, Kathleen Fitzpatrick and Gomez, Romina Diaz}, title = {{Watershed implications of shale oil and gas production in Vaca Muerta, Argentina}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/watershed-implications-of-shale-oil-and-gas-production-in-vaca-muerta.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }