LatAmOil: President Nestor Kirchner Gas Pipeline launched in Argentina

Argentina hit a milestone on June 20 as it began loading natural gas into a new pipeline built to handle production from the Vaca Muerta shale formation.

The loadings marked the launch of the first stage of the President Nestor Kirchner Gas Pipeline (PNKG), a new transportation route built to link Vaca Muerta to the capital city Buenos Aires, as well as a future LNG export terminal. They also demonstrate the successful completion of this infrastructure project, and they could benefit the current government politically by saving Argentina billions of dollars in energy imports during a time of local US dollar shortages.

The filling of the pipeline is likely to take around 20 days. The new gas transport system, named after Argentina’s former President Nestor Kirchner, spans a distance of 573 km, connecting the remote Patagonia region to Argentina’s urban centres and industrial hubs in the east. Integración Energética SA (IEASA), a state-owned entity, spearheaded the development of this vital infrastructure.