A protest by members of a mapuche community in the accesses to the natural gas field Loma La Lata, from YPF, complicates production in Vaca Muerta and may affect the delivery of fluid to urban areas.
The situation can affect the energy supply throughout the country in the next few hours, mainly in Buenos Aires and its surroundings.
According to sector sources, about 3 million m3 were left out of the system in one day.
The protest occurs when a polar wave invades Argentina and household demand for gas grows.
The official projection indicates that between the end of Wednesday and Thursday there will be less gas than necessary to have the system in optimal conditions.
If that happens, supply cuts will return to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) service stations that have interruptible contracts and, if worsened, even with industries that pay to have stable supply all year round.
In this complex scenario, the Government signed a contract with Bolivia to ensure gas imports starting in August, during the 45 days that the reversal of the Northern Gasduct will not be ready.
A protest by the Mapuche Painemil community began on Tuesday because a member ran out of gas in her home, which is right on the world’s second largest reserve of the fluid.
The access cut prevented some 280 YPF workers and their contractors from leaving the Loma La Lata facilities to change shifts, amid the low temperatures in Patagonia.
In this blockade, the truck is stuck with the bottles (Liquefied Petroleum Gas -LPG-) that would solve the problem, according to the Neuquén newspaper La Mañana.
For the moment, the only affected operations are those of YPF, although there are others in the sector who claim that the rest of the operators are also affected.
But the Government is also concerned about the impact that these types of protests may have on future investments.
