Who you sell to, and who you compete against
The 38 companies driving these projects, and which side of the table each one is on
31 are project holders: the demand side, the ones you invoice. The other 7 are service companies already inside: not customers, but who you are priced against. Each row opens its province page.
31Who you sell toproject owners — they are the demand7Who you compete withservice companies already inside — they change where it pays to enter
38 companies tracked · 5 provinces · 14 listed
The 31 project holders: who you sell to
A company operating in two provinces appears in both, with what it does in each. The name opens that province’s company panel, where its KPIs, output and reserves live.
| Company | Province | What it does there | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbraSilver Resource Corp (Diablillos) | Salta Diablillos, on the Salta/Catamarca border: Los Andes department (Salta) and Antofagasta de la Sierra (Catamarca) | The most advanced silver and gold project in the Salta perimeter: definitive feasibility closed in June 2026 and RIGI accession approved, with a… | listed |
| Challenger Gold (Hualilán) | San Juan Hualilán, Ullum department; processed at the Casposo plant (Calingasta) | The Australian junior that debuted the country's first mining toll milling | listed |
| Eramet Eramine (Centenario-Ratones) | Salta Salar Centenario-Ratones, Salta puna | The first plant in the world to take Eramet's direct lithium extraction to industrial scale, and one of the two operations in the Salta perimeter… | private |
| Fortuna Mining / Mansfield Minera (Lindero) | Salta Salar de Arizaro, Los Andes department — some 50 km from Tolar Grande, Salta puna | The province's only producing metal mine, and the only Salta operation that buys OPERATING services at metal-mine scale rather than construction… | listed |
| Galan Lithium (Hombre Muerto Oeste) | Catamarca Salar del Hombre Muerto, western sector, Antofagasta de la Sierra department (~4,000 m above sea level) | Australian lithium junior that became the project with the largest local-content commitment in the country | listed |
| Glencore (El Pachón) | San Juan El Pachón, Calingasta department (~3,600 m above sea level) | The Swiss trading giant holding San Juan's second copper mega-deposit | listed |
| Glencore (El Pachón) | Catamarca Agua Rica, Andalgalá department, integrated with the plant and infrastructure of Bajo de la Alumbrera (Belén department) | Sole owner of Catamarca copper: the largest pool of stalled capital in the province | listed |
| Golar LNG | Río Negro Golfo San Matías (offshore) | Owner, converter and operator (O&M) of the two FLNGs of the Southern Energy project: Hilli Episeyo… | listed |
| IEB Construcciones S.A. | Río Negro Route of the San Matías pipeline, Río Negro | Construction management of the pipeline, awarded in the same package as the civil works | — |
| Litio Minera Argentina / Ganfeng (Mariana) | Salta Mariana project, province of Salta | A 20,000 t/year lithium chloride production base with an announced investment of some USD 600 M, entirely from Ganfeng… | private |
| McEwen Copper (Los Azules) | San Juan Los Azules, Calingasta department (~6 km from the border with Chile) | The country's first 'green' copper cathode, with Stellantis and Rio Tinto on board | private |
| Minas Argentinas (Gualcamayo - grupo Eris/AISA) | San Juan Gualcamayo, Jachal department (~270 km north of the provincial capital) | The mature mine betting on a rebirth at depth (Carbonatos Profundos RIGI) | private |
| Minera Andina del Sol (Veladero - JV Barrick/Shandong) | San Juan Veladero mine, Iglesia department (4,000-4,850 m above sea level) | The province's largest operating gold mine, today the floor under the 91% export share verif OPEM May-2026 | private |
| Minera del Altiplano / Rio Tinto (Fénix y Sal de Vida) | Catamarca Salar del Hombre Muerto (western sub-basin), Antofagasta de la Sierra department; associated compressor plant at Olacapato, Los Andes, Salta | Operates Fénix, in the Salar del Hombre Muerto: 38,000 t/yr of lithium carbonate after Phase 1B verif Res… | listed |
| NOV (National Oilwell Varco) | Río Negro Golfo San Matías (equipment installed); head office in the United States | Supplies the SSY systems that let the two units weathervane around a single mooring point, aligning with the environmental forces… | — |
| Pampa Energía | Neuquén Rincón de Aranda | Shale-oil operator in Rincón de Aranda. The block's development plan began in August 2024, foresees investments exceeding USD 1,500M and targets a… | listed |
| Pampa Energía | Río Negro Golfo San Matías (LNG) | Partner in the Southern Energy floating LNG project with 20% of SESA (alongside PAE 30%, YPF 25%, Harbour 15% and Golar 10%)… | listed |
| Pan American Energy (PAE) | Neuquén Vaca Muerta | Second-largest oil producer IN THE COUNTRY: ~105,762 bbl/d (12.2% of national crude, Dec-2025)… | private · parent listed |
| Pan American Energy (PAE) | Río Negro Loma Guadalosa / Golfo San Matías | Operator of Loma Guadalosa, Río Negro's first unconventional concession. Article 4 of Decreto 447/26 splits the concession between Pan American… | private · parent listed |
| Phoenix Global Resources | Río Negro Confluencia Norte / Confluencia Sur (Río Negro's Vaca Muerta) | Pioneering shale operator on the Rio Negro side of Vaca Muerta: 7 horizontal wells in Confluencia Norte/Sur with over USD 110 M committed… | private |
| Pluspetrol | Neuquén Vaca Muerta | Operator; ~62,557 bbl/d (Dec-2025) country-wide, of which ~45,269 bbl/d in Neuquén. It bought ExxonMobil's Vaca Muerta assets (~US$1,700 M, Dec-2024)… | private |
| Posco Argentina / POSCO (Sal de Oro) | Salta Salar del Hombre Muerto (Salta/Catamarca border strip) + hydroxide plant at General Güemes | The only lithium operator in the Salta perimeter that also industrialises outside the salar: its General Güemes hydroxide plant has been operating… | private |
| Rincón Mining / Rio Tinto (Salar de Rincón) | Salta Salar de Rincón, Los Andes department (84,687 ha) | The only lithium operation of a global diversified major in Argentina. The «Rincón 3000» starter plant (3,000 t/year) has been producing since November 2024… | private |
| SACDE | Río Negro VMOS route (joint venture) · manufacturing base in Villa Regina (phase 2) | Half of the Techint–SACDE JV that built the VMOS oil pipeline (437 km, 30 inches, Allen→Punta Colorada): construction since February 2025, last… | private |
| SICIM | Río Negro San Matías pipeline: Tratayén (Neuquén) → the Golfo San Matías coast | Leader (51%) of the JV with Víctor Contreras (49%) that won the civil works for the three sections of the San Matías pipeline: ~USD 530 M, a bid ~15%… | private |
| TanGo Energy | Río Negro Entre Lomas, Jarilla Quemada, Charco del Palenque, Jagüel de los Machos, 25 de Mayo-Medanito SE | Concession holder under Decreto 509/26: it receives five oil and gas areas and three transport concessions… | private · parent listed |
| Techint Ingeniería y Construcción | Río Negro VMOS route: Allen → Chelforó → Punta Colorada | Builder of the VMOS oil pipeline in a JV with SACDE: 437 km, 30 inches, 2 sections (~110 km Allen→Chelforó + 327 km Chelforó→Punta Colorada), 22… | private |
| Tecpetrol | Neuquén Fortin de Piedra / Los Toldos | Historic leader in shale gas (Fortín de Piedra); 2nd-largest gas producer (~15.8 MMm3/d, 23% in 2024). It submitted Los Toldos II Este to RIGI. | private |
| Vicuña Corp (JV BHP - Lundin Mining) | San Juan Josemaría and Filo del Sol, Iglesia department | The country's largest copper project: a JV of two global majors | private |
| Vista Energy | Neuquén Vaca Muerta (Bandurria Sur) / Neuquén | Unconventional-oil operator in Vaca Muerta; it strengthened its position in Bandurria Sur after acquiring Equinor's assets (2026). | listed |
| Víctor Contreras | Río Negro San Matías pipeline: Tratayén (Neuquén) → the Golfo San Matías coast | Argentine partner (49%) in the SICIM-led JV (51%) that won the civil works for the three sections of the San Matías pipeline… | private |
| YMAD (Yacimientos Mineros de Agua de Dionisio) — Farallón Negro | Catamarca Farallón Negro / Alto de la Blenda mining complex, Hualfín district, Belén department (2,000-2,500 m above sea level); refinery and head office in San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca (Salta 1127) | The provincial state's miner: it produces Catamarca's only gold and silver and runs, in the capital, the country's only gold and silver refinery | private |
| YPF S.A. | Neuquén Vaca Muerta / Neuquén city | The leading unconventional oil and gas operator; it runs the RTIC control center in Neuquén city. | listed |
| YPF S.A. | Río Negro Punta Colorada / Golfo San Matías | Anchor of the Rio Negro export corridor: lead partner of VMOS (terminal at Punta Colorada, RIGI accession granted by Resolución 302/2025), 25% of… | listed |
| Yantai CIMC Raffles | Río Negro Yantai, China (the conversion is not done in Argentina) | Conversion of the MK II at the Yantai shipyard, with USD 1,000 million already spent as of Oct 23, 2025, delivery expected in late 2027 and operation… | — |
31 companies, 35 rows: 4 operate in two provinces and appear once in each, because what they do there is different.
The 7 service companies: who you compete against
| Company | Province | What it does there | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoreMarine | Río Negro Golfo San Matías (offshore campaign); head office in Norway | Contract awarded by Southern Energy S.A. to transport and install the soft yoke (SSY) mooring systems and to hook up the Hilli Episeyo and the MK II… | — |
| Halliburton | Neuquén Vaca Muerta | Co-leader of the fracking market (alongside SLB, ~70% of stages between the two). Main client: YPF (contract for 4 electric Zeus sets)… | listed |
| Jumbo Offshore | Río Negro Golfo San Matías (offshore campaign); head office in the Netherlands | Subcontracted by CoreMarine to transport and install the soft yoke mooring system, with heavy lift and piling activities… | — |
| Meridian Transportes Marítimos S.A. / Adani Harbour International FZCO | Río Negro Golfo San Matías and Punta Colorada, Río Negro | A 10-year contract starting in 2027, with USD 70 million of investment in marine infrastructure: 4 high-specification tugs, 1 AHTS and 1 crew transfer vessel… | — |
| SLB (Schlumberger) | Neuquén Vaca Muerta | Co-leader of the fracking market. In the 2025 cumulative it passed Halliburton in stages (SLB 9,312 vs 9,023), though Halliburton regained the lead in 2026… | listed |
| Tenaris | Neuquén Vaca Muerta (services) / Campana plant (Buenos Aires, pipe) | Quasi-monopoly pipe (OCTG) supplier and, on top of that, it operates its own frac sets in Vaca Muerta. It expanded the Campana plant to 1.3 M t/yr… | listed |
| Welspun Corp | Río Negro San Matías pipeline: Tratayén (Neuquén) → Golfo San Matías (imported pipe; first arrivals Aug 2026) | Supplier of the 36-inch welded pipes for the San Matías pipeline (471 km, Tratayén→San Matías Gulf, 27 MMm³/d initial) for Southern Energy / San… | listed |
What decision this changes
If you are selling a service
The project list tells you where the work is. This one tells you who signs the purchase order, which is not the same thing: the RIGI holder is usually a vehicle with a different name and tax ID from the brand you know.
What to do today: before sending a proposal, check the Ownership column. For a listed company you can read the capex plan in its quarterly report and know what it is about to buy; a private one you have to ask.
If you are already in the sector
The 7 service companies below are not colour: they already hold the relationship and have set the price. Meeting them head-on in their own specialty is the most expensive way in.
What to do today: cross this list with the niches. Where a niche names no incumbent, the gap belongs to a local supplier, not to a multinational.
How to read this, and what it does not say
Where it comes from. From the 38 records in data/empresas/, with the confidence mark and source they already carry. No figure is computed on this page: it collects and groups.
Holder or service company is decided by the sector, not by us. Same rule the province panel uses: oilfield services, steel and pipe are suppliers; everything else is a holder. A company that does both falls on the side of its declared sector.
“Listed” refers to the Argentine vehicle, not the group. Several holders are local companies that do not list even though their parent does; the column says so and the detail is in the record. An empty field is never published as “not listed”.
What it does NOT say. This is nobody’s supplier register and not the full list of companies in these provinces: these are the ones that show up in the projects we track. A company missing here is not a company that is absent.
How to read the seals → verif primary source · prob primary source pending · unconf not sufficiently backed · estim our own calculation · thesis our reading
Ignacio Aredez· Chief analyst
Credentials and track record →