Tube and pipes producer Tenaris announced this week it has opened a new service center in Senillosa, Neuquén, Argentina to supply pipes for local shale gas projects in the Vaca Muerta field.
Tenaris said the $5 million plant will better serve customers in the Vaca Muerta shale gas region and “show the company’s continued commitment to energy in the country.”
The Vaca Muerta is a 30,000-square-kilometer shale deposit located in the Argentinian province of Neuquén, and has recoverable resources of about 20 billion barrels of oil and some 583 trillion cubic feet of gas. It is said to be Latin America's largest shale gas field.
The new service center has a 15,000 mt pipes capacity and will allow Tenaris to be "closer to our costumers and serve them more efficiently,” said Gustavo Martin, commercial director for Tenaris in Argentina.
Tenaris said it is transporting pipes in Senillosa using both truck and rail, something which has “never [been] done in this region,” according to the company.
Tenaris said the service center was an extension to the company’s facility in the city of Neuquén. Expected investments for the two Neuquén plants in 2015 and 2016 should reach $11 million, according to company’s estimates.