The Chemicals business carries out production operations at the Ensenada industrial complex, integrated with the La Plata refinery, and the Plaza Huincul complex, which consists of a refinery and methanol plant.

Likewise, YPF carries out chemical activity in the Bahía Blanca complex through its investee company Profértil.

These industrial complexes have an aggregate production capacity in excess of two million tonnes per year, destined for market segments such as naphtha modification, resins, detergents, automotive, agrochemicals and fertilisers, among others.

During 2010, there has been a recovery in the international prices of the main products, consolidating the improvement seen in the second half of 2009. The price of methanol rose due to the postponement of new plant projects and to a good level of demand in the United States and China.

The building and setting up of the Continuous Catalytic Regenerator (CCR) began as well, which will allow production of aromatics to be increased by 50% and thus be able to meet the needs of growing internal demand for octane components, used in high quality gasoline and hydrogen production, necessary for gasoline and diesel oil hydrotreatment processes at the La Plata refinery. The estimated investment for this project is approximately €250 million, the largest petro-chemical investment in the last decade in Argentina.