Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale formation still profitable with lower oil prices, YPF CEO says

BUENOS AIRES, April 8 (Reuters) - Argentina's sweeping Vaca Muerta shale formation could still be developed even with lower oil prices, the head of state-run oil producer YPF said in an interview on Tuesday.

The so-called break-even price to develop Vaca Muerta would be at $45 per barrel, YPF CEO Horacio Marin said in an interview with local outlet Infobae.

Crude prices ticked up on Tuesday but remained near four-year lows amid recession fears stemming from a trade conflict between the United States and China, the world's top two economies. Brent futures were hovering around $64.87 a barrel mid-morning.

"At $45 (a barrel) we can develop all of Vaca Muerta," Marin said. "Of course, we'll make less money, but we won't lose any money either."

Marin added that the state firm was on its way to becoming a non-conventional energy producer, giving it stability in the face of turbulent crude pricing.