Halliburton, Houston, (NYSE: HAL) has successfully executed the first horizontal, multistage hydraulic fracture shale gas completion in Argentina's Neuquén Basin for Apache Corp, Houston, (NYSE: APA). Halliburton provided all major well construction and completion services for the project, resulting in the successful delivery of South America's first horizontal and deepest shale gas well.

As global development of unconventional resources materialize, Halliburton is in the process of pre-positioning Unconventional Reservoir Solutions Teams around the world. These teams draw upon the extensive knowledge and experience garnered from Halliburton's unrivalled position in North America's unconventional reservoir development. Halliburton, chosen by Apache because of its Buenos Aires-based Unconventional Reservoir Solutions Team's expertise and understanding of the specific complexities of the Los Molles shale formation, placed 10 hydraulic fracture stages in the horizontal section at a depth of over 4,400 meters.

"Halliburton's ability to apply its expertise globally will assist operators to efficiently develop frontier unconventional reservoirs," says Roberto Munoz, vice president, Latin America Region, Halliburton. "With the third largest estimated unconventional reserves after China and the United States, Argentina's shale gas potential will benefit greatly from the application of these technologies."