Entrevista a Marco Aranguren Director General de Calfrac Well Services Argentina

Hello, nice to meet you Darío. How are you? Very well, thank God.

Well, our experience mostly over the last 15 years has been in Argentina. We started with cementing services in Vaca Muerta and today we are one of the main companies in hydraulic fracturing. We have two unconventional sets in Vaca Muerta and now we are looking at the region to see where we can expand with all that is being talked about regarding Argentina's growth and LNG.

Look, Vaca Muerta is definitely growing. There is a significant need for equipment and personnel in every sense. We need everything to support the growth of Vaca Muerta. We are waiting for all these policies currently being managed to take effect and for our clients, the operators, to start expanding their need for fracturing, coil tubing, and cementing services. But we are not waiting idly; we are working to bring in all the necessary equipment. In recent months, we have signed contracts locally to build the equipment for a second fleet in Vaca Muerta. In fact, the fleet is already operational, we are just finishing the backup for that fleet. So we are very well positioned for when all those policies take effect.

Yes, more than just talking, we are bidding, we are in negotiations for serious contracts because we need to have that contract in hand to make the necessary investments. On our own account we have done up to a certain point, but now we need certain contracts or vehicles to do the rest. The potential is very large. I think that even with what we are currently managing, it is enough for the growth that will come in the next 5 years. But as they say, one step at a time.

What we visualize is that in 4 to 5 years, we have to go from around 8 fracture sets in Vaca Muerta today to around 20 sets. That implies an immense growth in equipment but even more so in human resources. Today it is complicated to train the people we need to staff all those sets. In a way, it is beneficial that the growth is gradual and not all at once, because training a person takes a certain time. It takes years from the moment they arrive with little or no experience to becoming an integral part of the team. So gradual growth is not bad. However, what we see with some concern is that we are not very clear where the people we need will come from. I think when the work arrives, they will come from all over Argentina to help the growth of Vaca Muerta. That's what we are waiting for.

Look, the profile of the person we are looking for is someone with a strong willingness to work, who comes with desire to grow and learn, not to stay static. They should learn not just one service or equipment but a range of equipment so that later their growth within the company is on solid foundations. You only have one opportunity to be in the field and learn the equipment and the work, so they must maximize that time and try to learn as much as possible. Later, when they become a supervisor or coordinator, it's very hard to go back and learn something they missed. We need people who take advantage of their time and seize the opportunity to grow and learn everything the company has to offer.

Well, for field operators, we require a technical diploma or high school diploma. Of course, we also have engineering roles, and for those you need to be a graduated engineer. We also have diesel mechanic roles and different roles for personnel trained in safety and environment, safety technicians. We have a variety of needs. But to generalize, we need people who come with a strong desire to collaborate and do their part so we can grow and succeed.

Of course, yes. There are roles for all levels of training, but at a minimum a high school diploma or technical degree in some discipline. But the most important thing is that they have the substance, the desire to grow, and that they come to play as a team.

15 years. We started in 2009.