The purchasing power erosion proves particularly severe for minimum wage earners, whose capacity declined from acquiring 31 cylinders before deregulation to between 13 and 18 cylinders currently, depending on retail location. Facundo Villalba, director of the provincial institute, emphasized that informal workers, retirees, and popular economy sectors relying on bottled gas for cooking and heating face disproportionate impact. Census data from 2022 identifies 46,194 households in Mar del Plata lacking natural gas network connections, representing nearly one in five of the municipality’s 259,623 total households.
Geographic pricing disparities compound access challenges, with the highest cylinder costs concentrated in lower-income neighborhoods where limited distributor presence and logistical constraints further elevate costs for an essential resource. The pricing pressure emerges as national crude oil production reached a historic peak of 903,700 barrels daily in May, marking 19.6 percent year-over-year growth with Vaca Muerta formations contributing 69 percent of output. Natural gas production simultaneously achieved 156.6 million cubic meters daily, reflecting 11.4 percent monthly and 6 percent annual increases.
The energy sector developments occur amid workforce reductions at the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, where approximately 350 contracted employees received termination notices effective July 1. Investment in the atomic energy commission declined 26.8 percent in 2024 and 21.4 percent in 2025, with employees reporting that 92 percent of workers earn basic salaries below the poverty line.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
