On February 18, an oil and gas workers' union in Argentina's Chubut province threatened to strike as a response to Halliburton's decision to lay off hundreds of employees and close its local office. Carlos Gomez, the deputy secretary of the Chubut Private Oil and Gas Union, expressed on the union's radio channel that the company reneged on commitments to maintain staffing levels, resulting in 290 workers being laid off without prior notice.
Chubut, the country's second-largest oil-producing province, yielded about 7.4 million cubic meters in 2024, contributing to 20% of the national production. Companies like YPF have been divesting mature oil field assets in this region, home to one of the world's largest shale oil and gas formations.
Despite the lack of an immediate response from Halliburton to requests for comments, Gomez indicated that the company attributed the layoffs to decreased operations in the area and its inability to ensure profitability. The union lodged a complaint with labor authorities and sought mandatory conciliation with Halliburton by Friday.
Gomez warned, "If the mandatory conciliation with Halliburton fails to address the situation of the nearly 300 dismissed workers, both unions will initiate a general strike across all oil and gas fields." The union, which represents around 8,000 workers, would join forces with colleagues in neighboring Santa Cruz province who have been on strike to oppose YPF's withdrawal from the region responsible for 10% of the country's oil production.