Local assemblies, particularly the Asamblea Alto Valle Libre de Fracking, express grave apprehension over environmental impacts, highlighting that the project bypasses the legally required free, prior, and informed consent under ILO Convention 169 that protects indigenous rights. The community of around 4,500 families in the nearby El Arroyón area, dependent on agriculture and fishing, claims exclusion from meaningful consultation and decries the risk of irreversible harm to water, ecosystems, and livelihoods.
This development follows a recent pollution incident by PAE on October 22, involving a hydrocarbon spill covering over 50,000 square meters near Lago Mari Menuco, underscoring operational risks. Simultaneously, the province of Neuquén authorized similar fracking operations near the Mari Menuco and Los Barreales reservoirs, raising parallel concerns among Mapuche communities and environmental coalitions. Despite repeated calls for annulment and a halt to these concessions, provincial governments continue to favor hydrocarbon expansion under significant investment plans exceeding $20 billion for the region, with limited environmental safeguards or robust impact assessments presented publicly.
The tension between petroleum sector growth and water security in northern Patagonia is intensifying, signaling ongoing conflicts ahead as community mobilizations and legal actions seek to restrict the footprint of unconventional oil and gas extraction in ecologically sensitive and socially contested areas.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
