ENERGY ANALYTICS INSTITUTE (EAI), Author at Editores LatinPetroleum

Chesapeake Energy Files For Chapter 11

(WoodMac, 28.Jun.2020) — Speaking after Chesapeake Energy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today, Alex Beeker, principal analyst on Wood Mackenzie’s corporate upstream team, said: “It’s difficult to point to another company that made more of a widespread impact on the US shale sector than Chesapeake. “The tech sector dubs […]

Guyana Oil Find Raises Stakes In Fraud Case

(Stabroek News, 27.Jun.2020) — Allegations of mass vote fiddling in the former British colony of Guyana may lead to the country’s discredited government being ostracised unless a court hearing next week can resolve a bitter dispute over election results. The political stakes in Guyana have risen massively since May 2015 […]

Africa
Egypt

Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan Hope For Nile Dam Deal In Weeks

(Reuters, 27.Jun.2020) — Leaders of Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt said they were hopeful that the African Union (AU) could help them broker a deal to end a decade-long dispute over water supplies within two or three weeks. Ethiopia, whose Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is worrying its downstream neighbours Egypt […]

Petrobras Receives R$265mn Of Leniency Agreement

(Petrobras, 26.Jun.2020) — Petrobras announces that, following up to the release disclosed on 25 July 2019, it has received R$265mn related to the second installment of the leniency agreement executed by Technip Brasil and Flexibras (companies of the Technip Group). This payment arises from the damages suffered by Petrobras’ within […]

Petrobras On The New Code Of Ethical Conduct

(Petrobras, 26.Jun.2020) — Petrobras said its Board of Directors has approved the company’s new Code of Ethical Conduct. The document, which unites the Code of Ethics with the Guide to Conduct, follows the best corporate integrity practices and represents another step towards strengthening the company’s integrity culture. The unification is […]

19 Companies Short Listed To Market Guyana’s Oil

(Stabroek News, 26.Jun.2020) — The Ministry of the Presidency this morning said that nineteen companies have been shortlisted for the marketing of Guyana’s oil from the Liza Destiny FPSO. A statement from the Ministry noted that the Department of Energy had issued an invitation for Expressions of Interest in February […]

Argentina Puts Damper On Oil Demand, Production

(S&P Global Platts, 26.Jun.2020) — Argentina has extended a 99-day-old economic lockdown for three more weeks to try to contain a surge in coronavirus cases, including by tightening restrictions on people’s movements in densely populated parts of the country, a decision seen as cutting oil demand and production that had […]

YPF Issues Force Majeure Notice On Tango FLNG

(Reuters, 26.Jun.2020) — Belgian shipping company Exmar has said that it had received a force majeure notice from Argentine oil company YPF SA under charter and services deals for the Tango floating export project. “YPF claims that effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic both worldwide and in Argentina have hindered […]

Diego Mesa Named As Colombia’s New Mines, Energy Minister

(Energy Analytics Institute, 26.Jun.2020) — Colombia’s president Ivan Duque announced his naming of Diego Mesa as the country’s new Mines and Energy Minister, replacing María Fernanda Suárez, who resigned for personal reasons. Mesa, aged 38, most recently served as Colombia’s Deputy Oil Minister, and holds a master’s degree from the […]

Colombia’s May Production Of Gas Rises, Oil Falls

(Energy Analytics Institute, 25.Jun.2020) — Colombia’s production of natural gas was 938.7 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) in May 2020, up 13.5% sequentially from 827 MMcf/d in April 2020, but down 8.3% from 1,024 MMcf/d in May 2019, according to details published by Colombia’s Mines and Energy Ministry. Gas […]

PDVSA Weighs Plan To Pay For Refinery Work With Fuel

(Reuters, 25.Jun.2020) — Officials from Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela have spoken with private contractors about paying for work fixing the country’s refineries with fuel and byproducts, a half dozen people familiar with the talks said. The possibility of in-kind compensation comes as U.S. sanctions on PDVSA and […]

Santiago Upgrades Transport With 355 Scania Buses

(Scania, 25.Jun.2020) — Scania has started the delivery of 355 Euro 6 buses for Santiago de Chile’s public transport system. Deliveries to the operator Express Uno commences in June and will be completed in September. These Euro 6 buses represent a considerable improvement compared to the Euro 5 emissions standard, […]

Trinidad Cuts Oil, Gas Budget Price Assumptions

(Argus, 25.Jun.2020) — LNG exporter Trinidad and Tobago has reduced the crude and natural gas price assumptions in its national budget. According to the finance ministry’s mid-year economic review obtained by Argus, the country’s baseline scenario for macroeconomic conditions is now pegged to $45/bl for Brent and $2.90/MMBtu for the […]

Total And Sonatrach Extend Their LNG Partnership

(Total, 25.Jun.2020) — Total and Sonatrach have signed an agreement to renew their partnership in the field of liquefied natural gas (LNG). This agreement notably allows to extend the existing supply contracts for 3 additional years in order to provide 2 million tons per year of Algerian LNG to the […]

Total Reports Ramp-Up On Iara With Second FPSO

(Total, 25.Jun.2020) — Total and its partners announce the start-up of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) P-70 of the Iara cluster (Block BM-S-11A), located in the deepwater Santos Basin pre-salt offshore Brazil. With a productive capacity of 150,000 barrels of oil per day, this new unit double the […]

Petrobras Starts Production In Atapu Pre-salt

(Petrobras, 25.Jun.2020) — Petrobras reports that it started today the production of oil and natural gas from the shared deposit of Atapu, through platform P-70, in the eastern portion of the Santos Basin pre-salt, near the Búzios field. The Atapu shared deposit, which comprises the fields Oeste de Atapu, Atapu […]

How Price Crash Changed The Upstream Sector?

(WoodMac, 24.Jun.2020) — According to Wood Mackenzie’s analysis, the oil price crash wiped US$1.6 trillion off the valuation of the global upstream industry. Andrew Pearson, vice president, upstream, said: “This figure captures the impact of Wood Mackenzie’s downgraded long-term Brent price assumption – now US$50/bbl (2020 terms), rather than the […]

Petrobras To Receive Offers For Bahia Refinery

(Reuters, 24.Jun.2020) — Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA is set to receive binding offers for the country’s second-largest refinery on Thursday, five people with knowledge of the matter said, as the state oil company aims to restart a plan to divest more than $10 billion in assets. If the deal for […]

Middle East

Iran Sets Out Conditions For Renewed Talks With The US

(Argus, 24.Jun.2020) — Iranian president Hassan Rohani has reiterated Iran’s willingness to resume talks with the US, but only if Washington apologises for withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, returns to it and compensates Tehran for the economic damage and losses incurred as a direct result of US sanctions. US […]

Tankers With Venezuelan Oil Stuck At Sea

(Reuters, 24.Jun.2020) — Tankers carrying nearly two months worth of Venezuelan oil output are stuck at sea as global refiners shun the nation’s crude to avoid falling foul of U.S. sanctions, according to industry sources, PDVSA documents and shipping data. Washington is tightening sanctions to cut Venezuela’s oil exports and […]

Tankers With Venezuelan Oil Unable To Unload

(Sputnik, 24.Jun.2020) — Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department announced that it was imposing Venezuela-related sanctions against four companies and four oil tankers belonging to these entities over their alleged involvement in the oil trade with the South American country. Reuters has quoted unnamed industry sources as saying that […]

Africa
Libya

Leaky Pipes Threaten Libya’s Oil Revival From War

(Bloomberg, 24.Jun.2020) — Libya’s oil industry is crumbling after more than nine years of neglected maintenance amid a civil war that’s killed thousands and destroyed towns across the country. The lack of basic, nuts-and-bolts servicing has left pipelines corroding and storage tanks collapsing. Remedial work at wells alone could cost […]

US Sanctions On Iranian Tanker Captains

(Energy Analytics Institute, 24.Jun.2020) — The US, under Executive Order 13599, today said it is sanctioning five Iranian ship captains, who delivered approximately 1.5 million barrels of Iranian gasoline and related components to Venezuela in support of the illegitimate Maduro regime. These individuals who headed five Iranian-flagged tankers – Clavel, […]

Argentina Weighs New Price Subsidy, Freezes Gas Tariffs

(WoodMac, 24.Jun.2920) — Gas pricing and market regulation are again under discussion in Argentina. The coronavirus pandemic has weakened an already vulnerable economy, with the impact felt in the gas market. To maintain low gas prices for end-users, the new administration has imposed a tariff freeze until the end of […]

Russia Backs Venezuela In Fight Against US

(Newsweek, 24.Jun.2020) — Russia vowed to support Venezuela in its campaign to counter U.S.-backed regime change after the Pentagon sailed warships nearby in the Caribbean to challenge the Latin American country. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Venezuela his country’s “reliable friend both in Latin America and in […]

Braskem Completes Facility In La Porte, Texas

(Braskem, 24.Jun.2020) — Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and leading producer of biopolymers in the world, today announces the construction completion of its newest, world-class polypropylene production facility located in La Porte, Texas. Braskem’s new facility has a designed production capacity of over 450 kilotons (kt) or […]

Europe

Aker Solutions Awarded LOI For Breidablikk

(Aker, 24.Jun.2020) — Aker Solutions has been awarded a letter of intent from Equinor for the delivery of a subsea system for the Breidablikk project in the North Sea. The scope of work covers a complete subsea production system, and associated equipment that includes 15 subsea trees in the first […]

Khiron Completes Solar Energy Park In Colombia

(Khiron, 24.Jun.2020) — Khiron Life Sciences Corp., a vertically integrated cannabis leader with core operations in Latin America and Europe, announces the completed installation of a state-of-the-art 2,600 panel solar park that will generate electricity to power the Company’s production facility in Doima, Colombia. Developed with ReFeel, a leading Italian […]

Keith Rowley’s Address – Energy, Renewables Event

(Trinidad Prime Minister, 24.Jun.2020) — Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley’s Feature Address – Energy Efficiency and Renewables Conference 2020. Ladies and Gentlemen, a very good morning to you all. I am once again honoured to be among such a knowledgeable gathering, even if it has to be in […]

Petrobras Appoints Board Member Ruy Flaks Schneider

(Petrobras, 24.Jun.2020) — Petrobras reports that its Board of Directors, in a meeting held today, approved the appointment of Mr. Ruy Flaks Schneider for the position of member of the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Ruy Schneider’s appointment will be submitted to Petrobras’ 2020 Annual General Meeting, called for July […]

Petrobras On Landulpho Alves refinery (RLAM) News

(Petrobras, 24.Jun.2020) — Petrobras, regarding to the news published in the media, clarifies that the date to receive the binding proposals for the divestment project of the Landulpho Alves refinery (RLAM) in Bahia is tomorrow, 25 June 2020. Facts deemed relevant on the matter and other portfolio management projects of […]

Petrobras On Deal With Sete Brasil

(Petrobras, 24.Jun.2020) — Petrobras, following up on the release disclosed on December 20, 2019, informs that its Executive Board approved a change in the deadline for certain conditions set forth in the agreement with Sete Brasil to be implemented. Therefore, the effectiveness of the agreement and of the other related […]

Low Prices To Weigh On Investment In LatAm

(Reuters, 23.Jun.2020) — Foreign investment in Latin America risks “drying out” due to economic turmoil and fiscal instability sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if Chinese-led commodity demand remains weak, a former Colombian finance minister said on Tuesday. “There is a risk that markets for the region dry out somewhat, […]

Fiscal Effects Of Covid-19, Oil Could Last Years In Colombia

(Reuters, 23.Jun.2020) — The fiscal fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices could affect Colombia for several years, Richard Francis, director of sovereign ratings at ratings agency Fitch, said on Tuesday. Colombia’s government predicts the usually healthy economy will contract 5.5% this year. The country has suspended its […]

Mexico Antitrust Body Takes On Govt Over Energy Policy

(Reuters, 22.Jun.2020) — Mexico’s antitrust regulator said on Monday it had filed a suit at the Supreme Court against the energy ministry, arguing that steps taken by the government last month were in breach of free competition under the constitution. On May 15, the ministry published a set of rules […]

JinkoSolar To Supply 60.9 MW To Hybrid Plant In Chile

(JinkoSolar, 22.Jun.2020) — JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced that it will supply 60.9 MW of bifacial modules for the first industrial hybrid plant in Chile. The hybrid plant will be located about 10 kilometers outside the […]

Venezuela Wooed Texan Lawmaker To Ease Sanctions

(AP, 22.Jun.2020) — Venezuela’s socialist government tried to recruit then-Congressman Pete Sessions to broker a meeting with the CEO of Exxon Mobil at the same time it was secretly paying a close former House colleague $50 million to keep U.S. sanctions at bay, The Associated Press has learned. An official […]

Petrobras Comments On Partial Award In Arbitration

(Petrobras, 21.Jul.2020) — Petrobras, following up on the release dated 22 June 2020, filed a motion to vacate a partial arbitration award rendered in an arbitration filed by Petros and Previ before the Market Arbitration Chamber (CAM) of B3. As a result of the rules of the CAM, the motion […]

The Oil Nation Aiming To Emulate Guyana’s Success

(Oilprice.com, 20.Jun.2020) — Paths to economic development might vary, ranging all the way from ruthless dictatorships hewing their way with an iron fist to established democracies laboring towards the well-being of its constituents. In terms of swift decision-making and efficiency, 20th century empirical data would rather tilt towards dictatorships with […]

Venezuela Wooed Texas Lawmaker To Ease Sanctions

(AP, 20.Jun.2020) — Venezuela’s socialist government tried to recruit then-Congressman Pete Sessions to broker a meeting with the CEO of Exxon Mobil at the same time it was secretly paying a close former House colleague $50 million to keep U.S. sanctions at bay, The Associated Press has learned. An official […]

End of Venezuela’s Oil Fortune Looms Over Maduro

(Bloomberg, 20.Jun.2020) — Oil revenue, the financial lifeline of Venezuela, is quickly drying up, adding to the growing instability of Nicolas Maduro’s embattled regime. Crude exports that once accounted for 95 percent of foreign currency inflow to the country tumbled by almost half this month, after hitting a 73-year low […]

The Oil Nation Aiming To Emulate Guyana’s Success

End Of Venezuela’s Oil Fortune Looms Over Maduro

Guaido Team Favoring COP In Citgo Fight: Update

(Argus, 19.Jun.2020) — Another senior Venezuelan opposition figure has resigned following the government’s leak of a strategy to favor ConocoPhillips in an escalating battle for Venezuelan state-owned PdV’s US refining unit Citgo. Jose Ignacio Hernandez, who held the title of special attorney general in opposition leader Juan Guaido’s US-backed exiled […]

Petrobras Releases Shallow Water E&P Teaser

(Petrobras, 19.Jun.2020) — Petrobras informs that it has started the opportunity disclosure stage (teaser), referring to the sale of its entire stake in the Atum, Curimã, Espada and Xaréu fields, maritime production concessions in shallow waters located in the Mundaú sub-basin, in the State of Ceará. The teaser, which includes […]

Guaido Team Favoring COP In Citgo Fight

Opposition Asks Court To Recognize Citgo Changes

(Argus, 18.Jun.2020) — Venezuelan ownership of the country’s most valuable overseas asset may rest on opposition leadership convincing a US court that it restored refiner Citgo’s independence and remains a US foreign policy priority. Attorneys for Venezuela’s US-recognized opposition government argued yesterday that National Assembly leader Juan Guaido halted actions […]

ExxonMobil Restores Guyana Oil Production

(Argus, 18.Jun.2020) — ExxonMobil has restored crude production offshore Guyana to 80,000 b/d after correcting a technical glitch, according to the head of the country’s environmental agency EPA Vincent Adams. A problem with compression equipment had slashed output at the Liza field by 65pc to 27,500 b/d last week, compared […]

US Sanctions Mexican Cos. Helping Venezuelan Oil

(Bloomberg, 18.Jun.2020) — The U.S. Treasury Department levied sanctions on Mexican trading company Libre Abordo SA de CV for buying Venezuelan oil via oil-for-humanitarian-aid agreements with the embattled country. Libre Abordo and its affiliate Schlager Business Group purchased 32 million barrels of crude oil this year to become the biggest […]