Former Neuquén governor Jorge Augusto Sapag published the book Vaca Muerta, Tesoro y Faro para la Argentina, edited by Sidera. The work reconstructs the technical and political process of developing the unconventional reservoir. It highlights its status as the world's second-largest unconventional gas reserve and fourth-largest for oil.
Jorge Sapag, former Neuquén governor born in Zapala in 1951 and a UCA law graduate, details in his book the development of Vaca Muerta from its beginnings to consolidation. The formation is the world's second-largest unconventional gas reserve, surpassed only by China, and the fourth-largest unconventional oil reserve, behind Russia, the United States, and China. Between 2013 and 2025, the province granted 51 concessions over 11,000 km² of the total 30,000 km², with investment commitments of 215 billion dollars, the highest in the history of any Argentine jurisdiction. Sapag approved pioneering regulations for hydraulic fracturing in Neuquén, enabling unconventional technologies. In the introduction, he states: “Vaca Muerta nació a pesar de una macroeconomía calamitosa y desquiciada. Su desarrollo es fruto del trabajo, la decisión y el coraje de miles de hombres y mujeres que abrazaron este desafío”. He compares the basin to the Permian in the United States and stresses current decisions for inclusive development. The prologue by Marcos Bulgheroni, CEO of Pan American Energy Group, notes: “Vaca Muerta es una realidad. Pero si algo nos enseña este libro es que esta realidad debe seguir construyéndose todos los días con esfuerzo, creatividad y una justa medida de osadía”. The book mentions other fields like Los Molles and is available in bookstores and digital platforms.
