Central & South America

Petrobras and EIG Near Deal for Bolivia-Brazil Gas Pipeline

State-run Brazilian oil company Petrobras is close to reaching an agreement to sell to U.S. private equity firm EIG Energy Partners control of a natural gas pipeline that connects Bolivia and southern Brazil.

Argentina Launches Tender to Build New Vaca Muerta Gas Pipeline

Argentina's government launched a tender on Wednesday for the construction of the first stage of a new natural gas pipeline from the Vaca Muerta shale formation.

Peru Oil Spill Affected 40-Square-Mile Area, Repsol Says

An executive of Spain's Repsol said an oil spill offshore Peru's capital Lima affected an area of 40 square miles (106 square km).

Venezuela Oil Spills Caused Grave Damage Over Two Years - Report

Constant oil spills in Venezuela between 2020 and 2021 have caused grave damage to the environment, the country's science academy said on Wednesday.

Guyana May Develop Offshore Oil Prospects on Its Own

Guyana could form a national oil and gas company to oversee its own exploration instead of conducting an offshore drilling auction this year, a government official told international oil executives on Tuesday.

Global News February 2022

EIA Updates Oil Price Forecasts Through 2023, Indian Oil Investing $944 Million on Gas Sales in New Areas, Cruz’s Nord Stream 2 Sanctions Bill Fails to Pass in US Senate and more.

Ecuador's OCP Pipeline Resumes Operation after Rock Fall, Spill

Pumping on Ecuador's private oil pipeline has resumed after repairs to damage caused by falling rocks, operator OCP Ecuador said on Tuesday.

Oil Workers Strike Over Wages in Blow to Argentina's Vaca Muerta

Argentina's largest oil union on Monday began an indefinite strike to press its demand for a wage hike to make up for the loss of purchasing power due to high inflation, a union leader said, a potential blow to activity in the Vaca Muerta shale fields.

Ecuador Pipeline to Take Longer to Restart Due to New Damage

Repairs to an OCP Ecuador pipeline damaged by falling rocks will take more than a week because of new damage sustained in the same area.

Peru Facing Fuel Shortage after Suspending Repsol Operations

Peru is facing a fuel shortage after the government banned Repsol SA from unloading any new oil into a local refinery after a large oil spill last month, its new prime minister said Thursday.

Venezuelan Oil Exports Fall Amid Returned Cargoes

Venezuela's oil exports plummeted in January to the lowest level since September amid loading bottlenecks caused by returned and rescheduled crude cargoes, according to internal documents and tanker tracking data.

Ecuador Oil Spill Affected Protected Area in Amazon, Government Says

A burst pipeline in Ecuador caused an oil spill within a protected area of the country's Amazon rainforest, the environment ministry said, adding that the pipeline operator will face legal consequences.

Pipe Burst Leads Ecuador Pipeline Operator to Suspend Pumping Crude

OCP Ecuador, the operator of Ecuador's privately held heavy crude pipeline, suspended pumping crude as a preventative measure after it ruptured in the Amazon.

Peru Reports Small New Oil Leak During Clean-Up of Prior Spill

Spain's Repsol SA, which was removing remnant crude oil from a pipeline 18 meters (59 feet) under the surface of the sea, said the escaped oil was an expected part of the process and contained.

Global News January 2022

US Oil Pipelines at Half-Capacity, U.S. Natural Gas Production to Increase in 2022, Osaka Gas Plans to Enter India’s City Market, and more.

Venezuela Halts a Free-Fall in its Oil Exports as Output Recovers

Venezuela last year halted the steep drop in oil exports that had crimped state oil firm PDVSA's ability to pay suppliers and sustain output.

Ecuador State-Owned Oil Pipeline Restarts Pumping Operations

Ecuador's state-owned SOTE oil pipeline has restarted pumping after works to address erosion in the country's Amazon region were completed.

Colombia Knocks Out Two Illegal Oil Refineries Belonging to Rebel Army

Colombian security forces neutralized two clandestine refineries in the country's northeast which belonged to the rebel National Liberation Army, the defense ministry said.

Brazilian Courts Suspend Petrobras Natural Gas Price Hikes

Courts in four Brazilian states have suspended a 50% hike in natural gas prices planned by state-run oil company Petrobras, likely kicking off an intense legal battle.

Key Ecuador Crude Oil Pipeline Ruptures While Halted by Erosion

The collapse in the pipeline's tubing did not cause any environmental damage given it was empty following its suspension, the ministry said.

Ecuador Declares Force Majeure for Oil Exports, Output Due to Erosion

Ecuador's government declared force majeure over its oil exports and production contracts after ongoing erosion in its Amazon region forced a halt to pumping on two pipelines.

Colombia Oil Theft Surges as Smuggled Gasoline Dries Up, Data Show

Gasoline is a key component in making cocaine but there have been shortages of the fuel in Venezuela, so criminal groups in Colombia are tapping pipelines for ever more crude, which they must later refine.

Petroperu Warns of Possible Fires at Pumping Station Occupied by Protesters

Petroperu warned on Monday that protesters who seized a pumping station of an oil pipeline a month ago risked causing fires and explosions at the facility, located in an Amazon jungle region of the country.

Guyana Planning 135-Mile Subsea Pipeline for Gas-Fired Power Plant

Guyana’s government expects work to begin on a major gas-fired power plant next year, which will be constructed with the expectation of a 220-kilometer (135-mile) pipeline also being built, Bloomberg reported.

Colombia ELN Guerrillas Claim Responsibility for Attacks on Oil Pipeline

Left-wing guerrillas from the National Liberation Army in Colombia have claimed responsibility for an attack against a pipeline used to transport crude to the country's most important refinery.

Brazil's Petrobras Agrees to Pay 1.4 Billion Reais for 2000 Oil Leak

Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras said it has agreed to pay 1.4 billion reais ($254 million) to settle three civil suits relating to the leak of an oil pipeline in southern Brazil in 2000.

Venezuela's Coastal Villages, Fishermen Suffer as Oil Spills Rise

A breach in an undersea pipeline owned by state-run oil company PDVSA that had gushed for at least 10 days before being sealed was the cause, leaving an oil slick that floated over fishing grounds.

Bolivia’s YPFB Transporte to Boost Gas Pipelines Capacity

YPFB Transporte S.A.’s objectives for 2021 are to increase natural gas production and meet the growing demands of the domestic market, such as respecting the contracts with Brazil and Argentina.

Global News October 2021

EIA Expects U.S. Natural Gas Consumption to Decline Through 2022, Brazil Seeks Natural Gas Pipeline from Argentina’s Vaca Muerta and more.

EIG Global Energy Partners Submits Offer for Petrobras Pipelines in Brazil

U.S. private equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners submitted a binding offer worth several hundred million dollars on Monday for Petrobras' TBG and TSB natural gas pipelines in Brazil, a source said.