Mechanic Fabio Javier Jiménez found himself in the right place at the right time.
When his father moved their family-owned tyre repair shop to the rural Argentine town of Añelo, it was a small, sleepy place, some 1,000km (600 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires.
There was no mains water or gas, and the electricity supply was constantly being cut off.
Then in 2014, fracking for oil and gas started in the surrounding region, and the conurbation boomed.
Fuelled by its new-found energy wealth, Añelo's population soared from 10,788 in 2010 to 17,893 in 2022. In addition, Añelo sees some 15,000 workers enter the town each weekday.
Añelo is located in the heart of Vaca Muerta, a 30,000 sq km (12,000 sq mi) oil and gas-rich geological formation. This accounts for more than half of Argentina’s oil and gas production.
The oil and gas from Vaca Muerta has allowed Argentina to achieve energy self-sufficiency and even become an exporter, creating a significant external surplus in the energy sector. However, challenges remain, including the structural issues within Argentina's economy.
Businesses like Jiménez's have prospered during this energy boom, yet doubts linger about sustainability and whether it can address the broader economic struggles faced by the country.
