- 4 leading Argentines
Arrived in Argentina in October 2025 The highest level of oil production in its historyAt 859.5 thousand barrels per day, according to official data. This record was surpassed nearly 30 years after the achievement achieved in 1998, but with a fundamental difference in reshaping the comprehensive oil map.
Currently four companies concentrate more than 75% of the total production: YPF, PAE, Vista and Pluspetrol. Unlike other important sectors, such as agriculture, the top four players in the energy sector are led by Argentines. Only with the top 10 companies do we actually reach more than 90% of the market. Of the top ten ranking, 80% are Argentinians.
The new map shows that traditional conventional producers have given up land, shale companies have emerged, and YPF has become more dominant, in a sector increasingly concentrated in Neuquén.
4 leading Argentines
According to a report by consulting firm Economía y Energía, the latest data as of September 2025 show that oil production by operating company was led by the following five companies: YPF (45%), PAE (13%), Vista (9%), Pluspetrol (7%) and Shell (3%).
However, to perform a map comparison Oil tanker between 2025 and 1998, Nicola Arceodirector of economics and energy, looked at the latest available annual data for 2024, based on the Department of Energy, when consulted by this newspaper.
There it is noted that the top ten oil producers exceed 90% of the market share. They are: YPF (48%), PAE (15%), Vista (8%), Pluspetrol (5%), Shell (5%), Tecpetrol (3%), CGC (3%), Total Energies (2%), Phoenix (2%) and Capsa (1%).
command YPF It’s not new. As happened in 1998, a record for the previous production. However, at that time it was managed by the Spanish oil company Repsol, until it was nationalized in 2012: today 51% is in the hands of the Argentine state and provinces, and the remaining 49% is listed on the market. Yes, YPF has expanded its participation: at the end of the 1990s it had 40% of the market, now it focuses on almost 50%.
What also has not changed is the leadership of Argentine companies. at the moment Lead YPFwhose CEO and president are Horacio Marin. He follows Pan American Energy (PAE)whose CEO is Marcos Bulgeroni and whose president is Alejandro Bulgeroni. Bye andIt is the country’s main private producerin a partnership formed between BP and the former Bredas owned by the Bulgeroni family, and the Chinese company CNOOC.
In third place on the podium is viewFounded only 8 years ago. Although it was founded by Argentine Miguel Galluccio, the first president of YPF after its nationalization with Cristina Kirchner, the company was created in Mexico and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In fourth place is Pluspetrol, which was founded by businessmen Luis Rey and Hector Poli 48 years ago. The current Country Director for Argentina is Julián Escoder.
In 1998, the previous record was also held by YPF, although at that time it was the Spanish capital (Repsol). There were other Argentine companies on the podium, but they are no longer leaders. After YPF (40%), In second place was Perez Company Bank (11%), which was sold in 2002 to the Brazilian company Petrobras.. Today the Pérez Companybank Group includes Pecom in its holding company, which operates in mature areas and specializes in services.
Third in the end In the 1990s there was Petrolera San Jorgewhich was later sold to Chevron in 1999. In fourth place was Astra, which was later acquired by Repsol.
Of the top four today, It was noted that the YPF maintained and expanded its leadership. PAE moved from sixth place in oil production to second place, and Pluspetrol moved from eighth to fourth place. Vista didn’t exist directly: it was founded in 2017.
Of the 10 largest companies today, 8 are led by Argentines. Tecpetrol, from the Techint Group, joins YPF, PAE, Vista and Pluspetrol. CGC, from the Corporación América group; Phoenix, whose shareholders are Jose Luis Manzano of Integra Capital and Swiss energy fund Mercuria. There is also the Argentine company Capsa, in which the Goetz family owns a majority stake.
The only two multinational companies are Shell, a Dutch company, and Total Energy, a French company.
In the energy sector there is a coincidence that the oil boomThe flow will continue to grow until it exceeds 1.5 million barrels per day by 2030. According to estimates by the Institute of Oil and Gas (IAPG). This size would place Argentina as a producing and exporting country with its own weight in Latin America. The main challenges are infrastructure, labour, financing and the need for more players to access the market, not only for production but for all associated services.
Nicola GadanoThe Imperia economist considered that “corporate diversity is a very important asset,” but stated that more new companies and players are needed, with sufficient capital to accelerate development.