Argentina resumes shipments of crude oil to Chile through the Trans Andean Pipeline, after 17 years.

The oil is pumped from the Vaca Muerta oil fields in Patagonia.

The operation is in charge of the Argentine state-owned oil company, YPF, and the destination is the refinery of ENAP, its Chilean counterpart.

Neuquén governor Omar Gutiérrez celebrated the reopening of the pipeline, inactive since 2006.

He said that thanks to this, "we will be able to export and generate foreign exchange for the country".

It is estimated that some 41 thousand barrels of crude oil per day will be sent to the neighboring country from Vaca Muerta, one of the largest shale gas deposits in the world.