Aguaragüe is celebrating a two-fer! To coincide with its anniversary, the operation has just signed an extension for the concession contract until 2037. Good cheer and joyful faces all around! Tecpetrol Hoy joined in the spirit of celebration.

In Tartagal, in the northwestern Argentine province of Salta, the Aguaragüe operation has just turned thirty, which is a big deal. It’s the anniversary of one of Tecpetrol’s oldest teaching sites—and of course, of its people, their lives and projects, and the long-standing relationship that the company has with its neighbors and their traditions.

The cherry on the cake is that the anniversary coincides with some excellent news: the signing of the extension of the field contract for another fifteen years, until 2037. All of which meant that the celebrations had to be truly memorable. And they were! Special guests and employees from way back, when it all started, joined Ricardo Markous, the CEO of Tecpetrol, and the company’s partners, as well as representatives from provincial and municipal authorities and unions. It was a night to celebrate but also to share memories and indulge in some good old nostalgia. Take Miguel Iriarte, Health, Safety & Environment Manager, who was delighted to share that, “In my case, thirty is also the number of years I’ve spent working at this operation. So many stories, so many people, so many lessons learned!”

Organizing the event, of course, was critically important. Eduardo Isasmendi, the Senior Division Manager, and Mariela Bootz, Accounts Payable Analyst, who’ve been working at the field ever since day one, explain that, “We set up a special team involving people from most sectors to handle aspects such as transportation, logistics, security, catering, the entertainment, and to manage the guest list."

At the party, Ricardo Markous was very clear: “Aguaragüe is an extraordinary project, as it has enabled gas to be supplied to the Argentine north.” Regarding the concession extension, he added that, “this is clearly a project with no end. The proof of this is that, jointly with our partners, we not only signed an extension but are also evaluating a whole new range of projects.”

Eduardo Isasmendi lists the reasons why he’s so proud of this latest achievement. “Tecpetrol and its partners renewed their investment commitment until 2037. The proposal contemplates pursuing a number of projects in the Exploration and Development area in a region with several complex oil wells. We’ve been developing a long exchange with the province in the company of our partners, which finally came to fruition, and this is what is today giving us the opportunity to celebrate all our work as we commit to the next round of investment and community development.”

The event was a way of paying homage to the years gone by as well as those to come, and also paid tribute to Salta and the Argentine north in general. “There were typical dishes, and the décor, music, people’s dress, everything was in line with our time-honored traditions,” lists Mariela, while Eduardo goes into detail about the entertainment: “We invited the Ahyre group to play for us, as they have a contemporary take on folk music, and there was also a local folkdance troupe from the area. This is a great way to honor this land and its history, the essence of Salteño culture, its native peoples and beliefs.”

Honoring traditions, which is tantamount to honoring the path traveled. The local employees have the last word. “Thirty years of work in Aguaragüe. It feels very good to know that this achievement arises from the judicious combination of good decisions, effort and commitment,” smiles Julio Wierna, Supply Chain Coordinator. Meanwhile Odín Fernández, the Lead Production Supervisor, recalls that, “At the dinner, I was reunited with many former and current colleagues and we had a great time sharing anecdotes from these last thirty years. It felt like it was yesterday! I will continue to do my best to contribute to the evolution of this wonderful company Tecpetrol.”