BP unit Pan American Energy , French firm Total , Argentinian company Wintershall Energía and the country 's state - run oil company YPF have announced a $ 1.15bn joint investment to expand production at the Vaca Muerta shale formation in Neuquen . According to a study the expansion will take production from from 1 million cubic metres per day to 4.5 million cubic metres . That investment came after the government said it would gradually lower the price it guarantees for gas drilled from new wells, currently $7.50 per million British thermal units of gas, to encourage investment sooner rather than later. The principal government in the northern region has agreed to split the Aguada Pichana area into two , combine it with the Aguada de Castro area to be controlled by Total and BP respectively .
BP unit Pan American Energy , French firm Total , Argentinian company Wintershall Energía and the country 's state - run oil company YPF have announced a $ 1.15bn joint investment to expand production at the Vaca Muerta shale formation in Neuquen . According to a study the expansion will take production from from 1 million cubic metres per day to 4.5 million cubic metres . The principal government in the northern region has agreed to split the Aguada Pichana area into two , combine it with the Aguada de Castro area to be controlled by Total and BP respectively .