The development of the 8.6-million-acre Vaca Muerta shale is a game changer for Argentina . Waning conventional oil and gas production from aging fields well past their prime was sharply impacting Argentina’s economy, the second largest in South America. Falling hydrocarbon production, especially for natural gas, which is an essential fuel in Argentina, forced Buenos Aires to substantially step up energy imports. This had an outsized impact on a fragile economy prone to calamitous financial collapses. Risin ...