Neuquén, Argentina — not just from oil, but also from other linked sectors, they explained. According to official data from the Ministry of Tourism, the Presidente Perón International Airport, in the Neuquén capital, registered 123,645 passengers last November, which implies a 15% year-on-year growth. “At every international forum where Neuquén is a protagonist due to Vaca Muerta, our tourist potential also begins to stand out,” they said. In this context, the Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, Leticia Esteves, stated: “This is an opportunity to attract investment, diversify the economy, and strengthen the development of all regions.” “Neuquén is moving towards more modern connectivity, open to the world and prepared for its own growth,” she added. The Chinese company Sany has officially entered the market, and Asian technicians are constantly coming and going as the firm positions itself in Neuquén to be a key player in the energy chain. Sany's marketing director, Lina Navas, emphasized the strategic value of the region during the presentation of her entire line for oil & gas and explained that the immediate objective is to position itself as a technology and equipment supplier for energy operations. “We know that Neuquén plays a very important role with Vaca Muerta. It is one of the largest natural reservoirs in Latin America, which is why it is key that the brand arrives today with the entire oil segment,” she stated. “Our slogan is that quality transforms the world. We want to invest in energy, infrastructure, and new jobs that promote the development of Neuquén and Argentina,” added Navas. This move includes strategic alliances. The president of Sany for South America, Cui Zuo, stated that the company will expand its presence beyond traditional machinery. “We are expanding our businesses: oil, energy, and new lines that require cooperation with local distributors and partners,” he explained. He also highlighted the region's potential: “For Sany Group, Argentina is among our 25 most important markets worldwide.” Regarding the type of clients they are seeking in the basin, the executive was straightforward: companies operating in oil and gas, interested not only in heavy equipment but also in services and long-term developments. Among the attendees, Gustavo Carro, general manager of Tacker SRL, valued the arrival of the brand. “It is fundamental to know new technologies, their productive capacity, and their costs. We are very interested in after-sales service and the solidity of the company,” he said. He also added that he was impressed by “the size of the company, its productive power, and the success cases they presented.” With its launch, Sany is embarking on a path that combines investment, the search for local partners, and the intention to join the growth pace maintained by Vaca Muerta. The largest volume of executives and technicians affected by the projects travels by commercial airlines, with many daily services. Once flights arrive in Neuquén's capital—formerly with the Texans, now with the Asians—the problem remains the same: the routes to the main oil areas—about 100 kilometers away—have severe problems: the asphalt is deteriorated, the lanes are insufficient, and traffic collapses every day due to the enormous number of heavy vehicles and constant transfers at all hours. “No one goes to Añelo by helicopter,” they retort. And while no one wants to go to the heart of Vaca Muerta by car anymore, the main obstacle to doing so by air is the price: an aircraft can cost one million dollars. In this context, thinking about alternative ways to get to Añelo, the capital of shale, is no longer a futuristic luxury: it is an imminent need. And the options are two: a train (which, with the current tracks, is not viable) or air transport. Far from the screens at the Presidente Perón airport in Neuquén, there are already some options to travel to the oil fields by plane or helicopter, but the reality is that the market today is practically non-existent. There are few exclusive flights in Neuquén: it is estimated that three or four private planes operate per day. “It's little, because the level of decision-making in Neuquén is limited. You get to a certain point. The rest is defined in Buenos Aires, and when you need to bring an executive, that's when private flights are used,” they explained in the industry. Movement at the airport continues to be fluid, although few to no passengers speaking English are heard. Recently, unconventional languages have taken over the transit zones, such as Mandarin and Arabic. The Neuquén airport complex, which not long ago seemed like Texas, is undergoing a metamorphosis in its traffic flow, and now that Shell has backed out of the initial phase of the LNG project in Argentina and YPF is accelerating projects with Italian ENI and Arab XRG (Adnoc oil) to export 12 million tons of LNG per year from 2030, gringo chatter is barely heard and Oriental languages predominate. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is the state-owned oil and gas company of the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1971, it is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and is under the direct control of the Emirati government. The “Framework Agreement” signed is a preliminary agreement with the company XRG, the international energy investment arm of ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company), to advance in the negotiation of the final terms for its incorporation into the LNG project, which will position Argentina as a relevant actor in the global liquefied natural gas market.
