Chilean Energy Minister Ximena Rincón visited the Vaca Muerta field in Neuquén province a few weeks ago and invited Argentina to use their ports on the coast of the Pacific Ocean to export oil and gas to Asian markets.

A communiqué from Chile’s foreign ministry offered more details on the proposal. 

“Chile can serve as a close, stable, and complementary regional market for Vaca Muerta’s energy production, offering port infrastructure, LNG [liquefied natural gas] terminals, regulatory expertise, logistical capabilities, and a strategic geographic location for exploring, in the long term, potential routes to Pacific markets,” the text explained.

The reasons behind the offer are clear, as Chile imports nearly all of its hydrocarbons. This leaves them exposed to price volatility due to the war in the Middle East.

Santiago has already been relying on its neighbor’s reserves. In 2025, 20% of energy imports came from Argentina, equivalent to US$2.8 trillion. This made Argentina Chile’s second-largest energy supplier, behind the United States.

The ambitious plan, however, runs up against a problem endemic to Argentina: government bureaucracy and the country’s poor track record as an energy exporter. 

Energy integration and Argentina’s track record

Daniel Dreizzen, director of energy consulting firm Aleph Energy, told the Herald that exporting via the Pacific would be a giant step forward for Argentina, given that Latin America is “completely........

© Buenos Aires Herald