Oil and gas producers in Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale formation are finally seeing rapid growth, but Argentina's political, infrastructure and economic challenges will probably hamper them from reaching Buenos Aires' lofty goals. In October, shale oil production from the Vaca Muerta, shale formation reached 269,000 barrels per day, a 42% year-over-year increase, according to the country's energy secretariat. Similarly, Argentina's production of unconventional natural gas (aka shale gas) reached 76 million cubic meters per day in September, an 11% increase from a year earlier and 46% increase from two years earlier. For Argentina, the rise in shale oil and natural gas production has reversed the country's declining oil and gas production, leading government officials to target production reaching 1 million bpd nationally 2026.