Argentina: Whistle blown on Geological services monopoly at oilfield

A group of geologists working with Intergeo SRL, a company that has performed geological control services in the Vaca Muerta oilfields, have denounced the granting of a license that gives all geological services to a single company, effectively condoning a monopoly in the sector. French company Geoservice will be the sole provider of this service, affecting workers, technicians and other professionals in the oil sector.

The group have also raised questions regarding irregularities within the tender process that allowed the contract to go to Geoservice, which will start operations in a few days. They also point out that this issue stems from a pact struck by the country’s state-run oil company, YPF, and US multinational Chevron, which enabled the monopoly through a series of clauses.

Intergeo workers demand that in the event of being fired, 100% of their compensation should be paid and they should be allowed to continue to offer their services to YPF, since current restrictions mean that claiming such compensation would prevent them from continuing to offer their services to the country’s main oil companies.

Full Content: La Izquierda Diario

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