Central & South America
Argentina NatGas Woes Risk Slide Back into Energy Deficit
Argentina, which had steadily dug itself out of a deep energy deficit to post a slender surplus last year, is set to sink back into an energy hole this year that could reach $1 billion due to local natural gas shortfalls driving the need for expensive LNG imports.
Brazil's Petrobras Disqualifies Excelerate Energy's Bid on LNG Lease
Brazil's state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA said on Monday that it had disqualified U.S.-based Excelerate Energy LP's bid on a lease for an LNG terminal in northeastern Bahia state.
Ecuador's Lasso Names Former State Oil Executive as Energy Minister
Bermeo oversaw Petroamazonas' restoration of crude output following the bursting of two pipelines in April of 2020. The company, which focused on crude production, later merged with Petroecuador, which had focused on oil transport and refining.
Colombia Oil Industry Ready for New Jobo-Transmetano Gas Pipeline
Since the beginning of the pandemic, apart from the three critical months of March, April and May 2020, the Colombian oil industry best knew how to face this difficult situation in Latin America. The $400 million Jobo-Transmetano, expected to go into service in December 2024, is the biggest evidence of this.
Ecopetrol Operations Impacted by Colombia’s Protests
Colombia’s Ecopetrol has accumulated high levels of inventories in wholesale plants and the pipelines network due to protests that “have resulted in blockades of the country's main roads and isolated incidents against certain of the Ecopetrol Group's infrastructure."
Enbridge, Fluxys, EIG Bid for Brazil's Top NatGas Import Pipeline
A consortium of Canada's Enbridge, Belgium's Fluxys and U.S. private equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners has submitted a non-binding offer for Brazil's largest natural gas import pipeline, three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters this week.
Venezuela Needs $58 Billion to Restore Crude Output to 1998 Levels
PDVSA estimated that $7.65 billion is needed for reviving pipelines, projects for gas injection to oilfields, terminals and refineries that are idled or underperforming due to lack of maintenance.
Brazil's Antitrust Body Postpones Deadline for Petrobras Asset Sales
Brazil's antitrust authority CADE postponed deadlines for divestitures by state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, including its refineries, natural gas pipelines and its stakes in natural gas distribution companies.
Fluxys Partners with Brazilian Gas Transmission System Operator TBG
Gas infrastructure company Fluxys and institutional investor EIG Global Energy Partners have completed the announced transfer of EIG’s minority stake in Brazilian gas transmission system operator TBG.
Petrobras Natural Gas Hikes Enduring Even as Shares Dip
Petroleo Brasileiro SA is unlikely to be able to back away from a 39% hike in natural gas prices slammed by Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, sources close to the company said, pointing to the durability of existing contracts with distributors.
Construction of Cuxtal Gas Pipeline to Boost Yucatan Economy
The start-up of the Cuxtal 1 gas pipeline represents a key infrastructure project aimed at satisfying the demand for energy in this region of Mexico, which is currently growing at twice the national average: 4.1% versus 2.6%.
Venezuela Gas Pipeline Tract Explosion Blamed on Attack
A tract of a gas pipeline in eastern Venezuela suffered an explosion on Saturday afternoon, according to a report from state oil company PDVSA seen by Reuters, an incident the country’s oil minister blamed on an attack.
Baker Hughes Flexible Pipe Technology Should Overcome Challenges of Pre-Salt Subsea Developments
Baker Hughes reached a significant technology milestone in pioneering a solution to overcome flexible pipe stress corrosion cracking (SCC) tendencies in high CO2 content fields, such as those found in Brazil’s pre-salt offshore developments.
Peru's Ultra-Conservative Candidate Could Kick Out Odebrecht
Peru's Rafael López Aliaga, an ultra-conservative member of Opus Dei, has a serious shot at becoming the Andean country's next president.
Brazil Hopes to Attract Natural Gas Investors with New Law
Under the bill, companies interested in building gas pipelines will need a simple authorization rather than a more complex concession contract.
Organized Crime Siphons Billions from Gas Stations in Brazil
Fuel-related crimes are common in oil-producing nations in emerging markets, sometimes involving theft from pipelines.
Spotlight on South America: New Gas Pipeline to Boost Northern Peru
Gasnorp, a subsidiary of Promigas in Peru, signed a 32-year concession contract with the Peruvian state for the distribution of natural gas through the pipeline network in the provinces of Piura, Talara, Sullana, Paita and Sechura.
Argentina's Vaca Muerta Growth Depends on LNG to Asia
Argentina needs to plan and build more liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity to accelerate the development of its largest shale play, Vaca Muerta, the CEO of Pan American Energy said.
Venezuela Offers Natural Gas to Mexico, Experts Question Plan
Venezuela does not have a liquefaction plant to convert natural gas into LNG, which would be necessary to send the gas via sea to Mexico, industry experts said.
Argentina's Shale Oil Drives Rebound
Oil output from the Vaca Muerta region in Patagonia, which holds the fourth-largest shale oil reserves in the world, stalled during the coronavirus pandemic but hit a record high in December as producers revved up wells with an eye on rebounding prices and a new export market.
NG Energy to Evaluate Formations in Maria Conchita Field
After NG Energy International Corp. successfully drilled a well on the Maria Conchita block, where there is now a pipeline being built to deliver natural gas, NGE’s technical team and external consultants recently finalized a study to evaluate the formations in the Maria Conchita field as a whole.
EIG Agrees to Sell Stake in Brazilian Pipeline to Fluxys
EIG signed an agreement with Fluxys for the sale of EIG’s approximately 27.5% stake in Transportadora Brasileira Gasoduto Bolívia-Brasil, which owns and operates the Brazilian section of the Bolívia-Brazil pipeline.
Construction of Pipeline to Colombia’s Coast Nears Completion
The demand for natural gas in Colombia will increase by 50% in the next 13 years, from 961 MMBtu/d in 2019 to 1,449 MMBtu/d in 2033. With that in mind, Promigas has undertaken construction of the 250-MMcf/d Paiva-Caracolí gas pipeline along the Caribbean coast of Colombia, which was 92% complete in August.
Family of Jailed Houston Oil Exec Asks for Venezuelan Leader's Mercy
The family of a Houston-based Citgo oil executive convicted and ordered to prison in Venezuela alongside five others appealed directly to President Nicolás Maduro for mercy.
Tanker Traffic to Venezuela Suggests Oil Export Rebound
At least 18 oil tankers are expected to load oil for export from Venezuela in the coming weeks, according to tracking data and internal documents from state-run PDVSA, in a sign the sanctioned OPEC nation's crude exports may rebound this month.
Ecuador Crude Output Reduced by Pipeline Ruptures, Budget Cuts
Ecuador expects its crude output to end 2020 "significantly" below initial expectations due to budget cuts at state oil companies and the rupture of two key pipelines earlier this year, Energy Minister Rene Ortiz said.
Fluor Awarded Pipeline Construction, Maintenance Contract in Peru
Fluor has been awarded a pipeline construction and maintenance contract in Peru by Compañía Operadora de Gas (COGA) under the Consorcio Mantenimiento de Gasoductos del Peru (CMgP) consortium.
Indigenous Activists Occupy Petroperu Pipeline Facilities Over Healthcare Demands
A pipeline owned by Peruvian oil company Petroperu has been occupied by indigenous protests demanding better healthcare from the government, the company said on Tuesday.
U.S. Charges Former Manager of European Oil Firm over Graft in Ecuador
The U.S. Justice Department has charged a former manager of a European oil trading firm with paying bribes of $870,000 to help win a contract from Ecuador's state-run oil firm.
PowerChina Eyes Rail Project to Transport Oil and Gas From Argentina's Vaca Muerta
Chinese energy firm PowerChina is in talks to finance a rail project to transport oil and gas from Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale play to the port city of Bahia Blanca,
- Keystone Oil Pipeline Resumes Operations After Temporary Shutdown
- Freeport LNG Plant Runs Near Zero Consumption for Fifth Day
- Biden Administration Buys Oil for Emergency Reserve Above Target Price
- Mexico Seizes Air Liquide's Hydrogen Plant at Pemex Refinery
- Enbridge to Invest $500 Million in Pipeline Assets, Including Expansion of 850-Mile Gray Oak Pipeline
