By Brazil Stock Guide – Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) has completed its first-ever import of non-conventional natural gas from Argentina’s Vaca Muerta field, in the Neuquén Basin, the company said in a statement. The shipment of 100,000 cubic meters of gas was produced by Petrobras Operaciones S.A. (POSA), its Argentine subsidiary, together with Pluspetrol, and transported via pipeline from Argentina through Bolivia to Brazil.
The operation was designed to test the commercial and operational framework for future imports, according to Reuters. Under the agreement between the companies, Petrobras is authorized to import up to 2 million cubic meters of natural gas under an interruptible contract.
“This logistical and commercial solution opens a new opportunity for importing natural gas into Brazil, reflecting Petrobras’ commitment to increasing supply and supporting the sustainable development of the natural gas market,” said Angélica Laureano, Petrobras’ Director of Energy Transition and Sustainability.
The initiative aligns with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration, which has urged Petrobras to expand domestic gas availability and help reduce consumer prices. The Bolivian section of the gas pipeline system, once heavily used to export Bolivian gas to Brazil and Argentina, is now being repurposed amid declining Bolivian output.
Petrobras holds a 33.6% non-operated stake in the Río Neuquén field, spanning the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén. Production there mainly comes from tight gas reservoirs in the Punta Rosada and Lajas formations.
Earlier this year, Argentina also exported Vaca Muerta gas to Matrix Energia, based in São Paulo, as part of a pilot test that supplied 500,000 cubic meters per day for ten days. Petrobras’ successful operation, however, marks the first direct integration of its own Argentine output into Brazil’s gas market.
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