Halliburton really found a treasure in Argentina this time. On April 13, 2026, this oil service giant officially announced that it had secured a long-term completion contract from the Argentine national oil company YPF, located in the core Vaca Muerta shale area. Note that the official term is' multibillion dollar ', which refers to billions of dollars worth of real gold and silver. This is not a small fuss, but a big move released by YPF through bidding, specifically designed to deal with large-scale hydraulic fracturing operations in the local area.

The most interesting aspect of this contract is not just the money, but the technical specifications. Halliburton not only provides conventional fracturing services, but also brings the ZEUS electric drive fracturing system and OCTIV digital fracturing platform packaged at the bottom of the fracturing tank. This is the first time that the ZEUS system has gone out of the United States, and it can be considered a true overseas debut.

According to Halliburton, this electrified combination punch is known for its high efficiency, stable operation, and ability to reduce emissions. In places like Vaca Muerta where development intensity is extremely high, traditional equipment may not be able to withstand it, and electric drive systems are clearly the more optimal solution.

Speed up oil production and gas sales

Why does YPF dare to spend billions at this time? Because the development of Vaca Muerta has entered a frenzy mode. Reuters reported in February that YPF plans to dry shale oil production to 215000 barrels per day by 2026, more than doubling directly from 2023. YPF currently holds 54% of Argentina's shale oil production and 24% of its shale gas production, making it the absolute leader.

But just picking it up doesn't work, it still needs to be sold. YPF is now walking on two legs: crazily fracking on the well site and exporting LNG at the port.

The short-term project is looking at the port of Rio Negro. YPF plans to use two floating liquefaction units, namely Golar's Hilli Episeyo and one MKII FLNG, for external use. It is expected to be put into operation in 2027 and 2028.

Long term layout is more aggressive. In February 2026, Eni, YPF, and XRG signed an agreement to carry out the Argentina LNG project, directly adding two FLNG units with an annual output of 6 million tons, with a total scale of 12 million tons per year. This project has been listed on YPF's official website as a key project promotion. Keywords: international news, oil and gas development

Simply put, YPF's current logic is very clear: the upstream development intensity cannot be reduced, and the downstream export channels must be connected. This long-term contract with Halliburton actually provides an insurance for YPF's future production plans. For Halliburton, this is not just about earning service fees, but also pushing the standard features of electric drive and digitalization into the South American market, which is a far sighted move.Editor/Cheng Liting