VMOS Moves Forward in Río Negro as Pipeline Is Completed and Single Point Moorings Head to Punta Colorada
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- Argen PortsEn video: así avanza el VMOS para exportar petróleo de Vaca Muerta a comienzos de 2027
- comex onlineLlegaron a Río Negro las dos monoboyas del VMOS que permitirán operar con superpetroleros
- Puertos y comercio argentinaArgenports visita las obras de la terminal VMOS en Punta Colorada que potenciará las exportaciones de Vaca Muerta
- Argen PortsArgenports recorrió las obras del VMOS en Punta Colorada: fotos y videos desde la costa rionegrina
The Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS) project is moving forward with the integration of the infrastructure that will enable crude oil from the Neuquén basin to be exported to international markets. With the onshore pipeline already completed and the arrival of the two single point mooring (SPM) buoys at the Port of San Antonio Este, in Río Negro, work is now focused on the Punta Colorada terminal and the subsea facilities, with the goal of making the first shipment in early 2027.
Pipeline completed and tanks under construction
The Techint-Sacde joint venture completed construction of the 437-kilometer onshore pipeline section between Allen and Punta Colorada, which reached Ready for Operation status in June. At the terminal, Sacde finished the pre-assembly of the export pumps and the installation of the 56-inch pipework for the first phase. The storage complex comprises six tanks of 120,000 cubic meters each, for a combined capacity of 720,000 cubic meters, from which the crude will be pumped to the offshore facilities.
The SPM buoys and loading of ultra large crude carriers
The two single point mooring buoys intended for the terminal arrived on October 5 at the Port of San Antonio Este, transported aboard the vessel Jumbo Javelin from the United Arab Emirates, and will be installed off Punta Colorada, about seven kilometers from the coast. Each structure weighs 272 tons and measures 15.3 meters in diameter. The system will use CALM (Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring) technology, linked to flexible pipelines and PLEM (Pipeline End Manifold) subsea structures, and will allow VLCCs—capable of carrying up to two million barrels per voyage—to moor and load without the need for a fixed berth. Off Punta Colorada, work also continues on laying the subsea pipeline, with the vessel Seminole taking part in the operation.
Schedule and investment
The roadmap calls for completing the offshore pipeline during October, advancing in November with the integration of the main components, and concentrating the final connections and operational and safety testing in December before shipments begin. VMOS envisages an initial investment of US$3 billion and projects a transport capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, expandable to 700,000 depending on production growth, although the start-up will be gradual, with an initial capacity of around 180,000 barrels per day.
Impact on the region
As highlighted during a visit to the works, the Punta Colorada terminal will not only benefit oil production in Neuquén, but is also expected to transform that coastal area of Río Negro into a key logistics hub for Argentina's energy economy, generating employment during both construction and operation and strengthening the link between domestic production and foreign markets.
