Vaca Muerta Emerges as Top Alternative to Middle East Oil Supply Risk

As the Middle East conflict exposes the fragility of global supply chains built around the Strait of Hormuz, energy companies and importing nations alike are reassessing where the next generation of reliable barrels will come from.

The Vaca Muerta Shale sits at the top of that shortlist, with Argentina throwing open 15 new exploration blocks in the play to international and domestic energy companies — the largest bid round since 2016 and more than double the six blocks offered in the previous provincial auction.