- Malaysia's Petronas signs a $550M deal with Argentina’s YPF (YPF -3.2%) to develop the South American country’s vast shale resources, despite fears that falling oil prices could undermine the profitability of unconventional energy projects.
- The joint venture follows earlier deals amounting to $2.8B with Chevron to develop Argentina's huge Vaca Muerta shale formation; it will be similar in structure to the Chevron deal, with Petronas providing most of the financing for the initial three-year pilot project that aims to drill 35 wells which, if successful, could lead to another $10B in investments.