Argentine President Mauricio Macri this year has made frequent mention of Vaca Muerta, a shale formation in the southern province of Neuquén. Small wonder: Grisly though its name might be, Vaca Muerta, or Dead Cow, holds 38% of the shale gas and 60% of the shale oil that make Argentina a world leader in unconventional hydrocarbon reserves. Macri is pushing to expand hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Vaca Muerta so the reserve can reach its full production potential. Like his predecessor, Cristina Kirchner, Macri sees Vaca Muerta as a key to Argentina’s emergence as a world energy powerhouse, and to a transformative period of sustained growth for the country’s economy. Yet also like his predecessor, the president is finding this vision difficult to realize, with... [Log in to read more]