Can Chevron's Vaca Muerta Strategy Deliver Long-Term Wins?

Chevron Corporation (CVX) continues to expand its presence in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale — one of the world’s largest unconventional oil and gas formations. Having entered the play more than a decade ago, Chevron sees Vaca Muerta as an increasingly vital part of its global portfolio. In 2025, the company reaffirmed its commitment, highlighting an “enviable unconventional resource position” that can be developed into a core asset in the near term.Located in Argentina’s Neuquén Province, Vaca Muerta has become a key driver of national production, with total crude output hitting a record 816,000 barrels per day in August 2025 — about two-thirds from shale. Chevron has played a major role in this progress, applying its U.S. shale expertise, especially from the Permian Basin, to boost efficiency and well performance. Experts note that Vaca Muerta wells now rival, and sometimes exceed, leading U.S. shale plays, with breakeven prices near $36 per barrel.Chevron’s involvement also extends to infrastructure development. The company is part of a consortium constructing the $3 billion Vaca Muerta South pipeline, slated to begin operations in 2027. Once complete, it will expand takeaway capacity from 180,000 to roughly 700,000 barrels per day, advancing Argentina’s goal of becoming a regional energy exporter. For Chevron, Vaca Muerta stands as both a strategic growth engine and a cornerstone of its broader Latin American strategy.Latin America’s Energy Players Strengthen Bet on Vaca MuertaGeoPark Limited (GPRK) has taken a major step into Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale, acquiring the Loma Jarillosa Este and Puesto Silva Oeste blocks for $115 million. GeoPark plans to invest $14.5 million in a three-year pilot program and build new infrastructure to boost production. With this move, Colombia-based GeoPark strengthens its regional footprint and long-term unconventional growth strategy.Argentina's leading energy company, YPF Sociedad Anónima (YPF), is also ramping up its Vaca Muerta operations, focusing on oil and unconventional production. YPF plans $3.3 billion in 2025 investments and aims for 200,000 barrels per day from Vaca Muerta by year-end. Through pipelines, infrastructure upgrades, and strategic development, YPF is strengthening its position as Argentina’s leading crude exporter and long-term energy player.#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chevron Corporation (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report YPF Sociedad Anonima (YPF): Free Stock Analysis Report Geopark Ltd (GPRK): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks