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Finally milking the dead cow? – How Javier Milei plans to benefit from fracking in Argentina

This Extractivism Policy Brief 08/2025 shows:

• Vaca Muerta in Argentina is one of the most important reserves of non-conventional oil and gas in the world.

• Milei has granted extensive benefits to the oil sector to generate foreign exchange in a context of macroeconomic fragility and is likely to succeed in increasing revenues in the short term.

• However, factors such as social mobilization, Trump’s trade war and a risky investment climate could derail further development of Vaca Muerta.

The Authors: 

Dr. Mariano Novas is a political scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín.
Florian Zschoche
is a doctoral candidate in political science at the University of Kassel and the University of Vienna.

This policy brief was written in the context of the DAAD-funded research project “Green Energy and Sustainable
Resources in a North-South-South Partnership.”

 

Link to PDF: Download Extractivism Policy Brief 08/2025 (ENGLISCH)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17170/kobra-2026011311790