The governments of Argentina and the United States announced on September 23, 2026 the unveiling of a financing package worth approximately $6 billion for the Argentina LNG export project. Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau reportedly made the announcement in New York.
Argentina LNG is a floating LNG export project in which YPF, Eni, and XRG hold stakes of 36%, 32%, and 32% respectively, and plans to produce a total of 12 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG through two floating LNG (FLNG) units of 6 Mtpa each. The announcement reportedly centered on a financing package supporting the project from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).
The financing support unveiled amounts to approximately $6 billion, and EXIM reportedly plans to provide up to $7 billion in support across Argentina’s energy and minerals sector overall. The Argentina LNG project’s total lifetime investment is estimated at approximately $51 billion, and it is subject to Argentina’s large-investment incentive scheme known as RIGI (Régimen de Incentivo para Grandes Inversiones).
This financing package announcement represents a step toward concretizing the financing for the first major LNG export project linked to the development of Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale gas field, and shows that the US government is supporting the expansion of Argentina’s energy export infrastructure as part of diplomatic and economic cooperation.
This case illustrates a trend of public export credit agencies such as the US Export-Import Bank actively participating in financing resource development and LNG export projects in South America. As Argentina continues its policy of attracting foreign capital through large-investment incentive schemes such as RIGI, this financing package could serve as a reference case for other international energy companies’ investment decisions in Argentina. The adoption of the floating LNG (FLNG) approach, which can shorten construction time and spread out initial investment burden compared to onshore terminals, is cited as a business model worth referencing for other emerging LNG exporters with gas fields at an early stage of development. However, it is also worth noting that executing a total lifetime investment of $51 billion as planned will require additional financing and securing long-term sales agreements.
The specific terms (interest rates, repayment conditions, etc.) of this $6 billion financing package and when it will actually be disbursed are of interest. The timing of the project’s final investment decision (FID) and the target date for the first LNG cargo shipment are also variables that will need to be confirmed going forward. How the application and scope of RIGI incentives will ultimately be finalized, and whether other international energy companies will additionally join this project or similar ventures, also warrant continued attention.