The pipeline comprises two segments: the initial 278 kilometers feature 36-inch diameter pipe, while the remaining 475 kilometers utilize 30-inch casing. Associated works include 147 kilometers of parallel loops across Córdoba, Santa Fe, Catamarca, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán provinces, plus installation of 71,000 horsepower across five compressor stations. These enhancements will add 14 million cubic meters daily of transport capacity to TGN’s system, addressing constraints that forced industrial facilities and power plants to curtail operations during winter months.
TGN CEO Horacio Pizarro positioned the project as transforming Vaca Muerta gas into competitive energy through trunk infrastructure, enabling domestic production to displace imports and generate exportable surplus. The company plans to submit the project for inclusion in Argentina’s RIGI incentive regime for large investments, structuring financing through private initiative provisions in hydrocarbon law without direct state contributions. Revenue will derive from transport tariffs, capacity reservations and prepaid contracts with producers and major consumers, following the model established by TGS’s Perito Moreno pipeline expansion.
Tratayén serves as a strategic junction hosting a main header for the Perito Francisco Pascasio Moreno pipeline and compression facilities that increased injection volumes from the Neuquén Basin. However, existing infrastructure primarily directs flows toward Buenos Aires and central consumption zones. The Manuel Belgrano link creates an alternative route toward Córdoba, enabling distribution to the Litoral, northwestern provinces and regional markets. The connection reinforces supply to industries and power generators facing restrictions during high-demand periods.
Northern Argentina represents a priority destination following production declines in the northwest basin and diminishing Bolivian imports, which necessitated reversing the Norte pipeline to replace imported volumes. Capacity on the Norte system could expand from 15 million to 19 million cubic meters daily, functioning complementarily with the Tratayén-La Carlota route. Enhanced transport capacity toward Córdoba and the north positions Argentina to pursue long-term contracts with Brazil and strengthen shipments to Chile, converting Vaca Muerta’s production surplus into external sales.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
