(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 […]
Category: Latin America and the Caribbean
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
(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 […]
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 […]
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, CurimĂŁ, Espada and XarĂ©u fields, maritime production concessions in shallow waters located in the MundaĂş sub-basin, in the State of Ceará. The teaser, which includes […]
Guaido Team Favoring COP In Citgo Fight
(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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Treasury Targets Sanctions Evasion Network Supporting Corrupt Venezuelan Actors
(US Department of Treasury, 18.Jun.2020) — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three individuals and eight foreign entities, and identified two vessels as blocked property for their activities in or associated with a network attempting to evade United States sanctions on Venezuela’s […]
Petrobras Eyes Selling BR Stake In 2H:20, Sources Say
(Reuters, 17.Jun.2020) — Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA is resuming plans to unload its remaining stake in the country’s top gas station operator, Petrobras Distribuidora SA, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Petrobras will try to conclude the offering during the second half of the year, […]
Petrobras’ E&P Teaser For Alagoas State Assets
(Petrobras, 17.Jun.2020) — Petrobras informs that it has started the opportunity disclosure stage (teaser), referring to the sale of its entire stake in a set of seven onshore and shallow water concessions located in the state of Alagoas. The teaser, which includes key information about the opportunity, as well as […]
Petrobras On BR Distribuidora S.A. News
(Petrobras, 17.Jun.2020) — Petrobras, regarding to the news published in the media, referring to the sale of its stake in BR Distribuidora S.A. (BR), clarifies that, according to the press released on 16 January 2020, has been studying a possible additional sale of its stake in BR. However, there is […]
Touchstone Closes Trinidad Based $20mn Term Loan
(Touchstone, 16.Jun.2020) — Touchstone Exploration Inc. announced on 15 June 2020 the conditions precedent were satisfied in respect of its previously announced $20 million, seven-year term loan agreement with Republic Bank Limited. Touchstone withdrew $15 million to satisfy obligations relating to prepaying the company’s former C$20 million credit facility. Pursuant […]
GECOM Chairman Awaits Guyana Election Report
(GECOM, 16.Jun.2020) — After considerable deliberations at the Commission on the report submitted by Chief Election Officer(CEO), Mr. Keith Lowenfield on the National Recount of votes cast in the 2 March, 2020 General and Regional Elections, Chairperson of the Commission, Justice Claudette Singh has requested for the CEO prepare a […]
Electoral Authority Confirms Bouterse Defeat
(Reuters, 16.Jun.2020) — Surinamese President Desi Bouterse, a former military ruler who has dominated the country’s politics in recent decades, lost last month’s national election, the country’s electoral authority said today after three weeks verifying the vote. Chan Santokhi, a former police commissioner and justice minister of the Progressive Reform […]
Venezuela’s Oil Exports Fall As Contracts Get Suspended
(Reuters, 16.Jun.2020) — Venezuela’s oil exports have fallen nearly 28% in the first half of June, on course for the lowest level in over 70 years as tanker owners and operators suspend contracts for transporting crude oil, according to documents and data on Tuesday. Shipping firms are avoiding Venezuela after […]
Petrobras Approves Date For 2020 Annual General Meeting
(Petrobras, 16.Jun.2020) — Petrobras’ Board of Directors approved the date of 22 July 2020 for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in accordance with the Provisional Measure No. 931/2020 and CVM Decision No. 849/2020. The documents relating to the AGM will be disclosed to the market in due course __________
Suriname’s President Loses Election
(Reuters, 16.Jun.2020) — Surinamese President Desi Bouterse, a former military ruler who has dominated the country’s politics in recent decades, lost last month’s national election, the country’s electoral authority said on Tuesday after three weeks verifying the vote. Chan Santokhi, a former police commissioner and justice minister of the Progressive […]
Carter Center Welcomes Caricom Report On Guyana
(The Carter Center, 16.Jun.2020) — The Carter Center commends the Guyana Elections Commission on the completion of the recount process and welcomes the Caricom report, which indicates that despite minor flaws in the process, the recount results are acceptable and provide the basis for a declaration of results from the […]
Exxon Reduces Guyana Crude Production
(Tudor Pickering, 16.Jun.2020) — Reports out last night that XOM was forced to reduce output at its Liza Phase 1 project in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana due to an issue with equipment designed to limit excessive flaring by reinjecting produced gas back into the reservoir. In order to comply […]
Mexico’s Lopez Says He’d Sell Fuel To Venezuela
(Reuters, 15.Jun.2020) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday his country would, for “humanitarian” reasons, sell gasoline to Venezuela if asked to do so, despite a raft of U.S. sanctions imposed on the South American country and its state-run oil company, PDVSA. Lopez Obrador added he had […]
Touchstone Reports Cascadura Pressure Analysis
(Touchstone, 15.Jun.2020) — Touchstone Exploration Inc. announced final production test results from the Cascadura-1ST1 well on the Ortoire exploration block. The final test results for both the lower test (6,056 to 6,218 feet) and the upper test (5,570 to 5,915 feet) have been reviewed by the Company’s independent reserves evaluator, […]
Iran To Keep Offloading Fuel Glut To Venezuela
(Reuters, 15.Jun.2020) — Iran could send two to three cargoes a month in regular gasoline sales to ally Venezuela, sources say, helping offload domestic oversupply but risking retaliation from U.S. President Donald Trump who has sanctions on both nations. Iran has since April sent five tankers totaling about 1.5 million […]
Mexico’s Oil Hedge To Be Pricier
(Reuters, 15.Jun.2020) — Mexico will have to pay more for less coverage under its giant oil revenue insurance policy for 2021, but will likely go ahead anyway to avoid further damaging its financial standing with international investors, sources said. The finance ministry’s billion-dollar oil hedge is the world’s largest. It […]
Venezuela’s Oil Production In Free Fall
(Energy Analytics Institute, 15.Jun.2020) — Venezuela’s production of crude oil continues in a free fall, reaching 411,900 barrels per day on 15 June 2020, down by 206,800 barrels per day from an average 618,700 barrels per day in May, according to documents seen by Energy Analytics Institute. Average production through […]
Venezuela’s Oil Plunges To Lowest Level Since 1945
(Bloomberg, 13.Jun.2020) — Oil production in Venezuela, the country with the world’s largest reserves of crude, has fallen to a 75-year low with U.S. sanctions continuing to cripple the country’s exports. Venezuela’s state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA lowered its production estimates to 374,000 barrels a day as of […]
Petrobras Starts Binding Phase Of Wind Farms
(Petrobras, 12.Jun.2020) — Petrobras, following up on the press release disclosed on 13 March 2020 and 4 May 2020, announces the beginning of the binding phase regarding the joint sale, with Wobben Windpower IndĂşstria e ComĂ©rcio Ltda (Wobben), of all of its shares (51% Wobben and 49% Petrobras) in the […]
Petrobras On Binding Phase Of Assets In Colombia
(Petrobras, 12.Jun.2020) — Petrobras, following up on the press release disclosed on 21 May 2020, announces the beginning of the binding phase related to the sale of 100% of the shares held by Petrobras International Braspetro B.V. (PIB BV) and other Petrobras subsidiaries, in Petrobras Colombia Combustibles (PECOCO). Qualified parties […]
Shipping Magnate Faces US Sanctions Probe
(Reuters, 12.Jun.2020) — The United States is investigating a Venezuelan shipping magnate for possibly violating U.S. sanctions by bringing fuel to gasoline-short Venezuela, according to two senior Trump administration officials. President Donald Trump’s envoy on Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said the Treasury Department, which oversees sanctions policy, would determine the course […]
Petrobras To Not Hire Tankers That Visited Venezuela
(Reuters, 12.Jun.2020) — Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA has told shippers it will not hire any tankers that have visited Venezuela in the past 12 months, the state-controlled oil company said on Friday, signaling adherence to U.S. sanctions on the Latin American nation. The United States this year blacklisted oil tankers […]
Petrobras Refineries Near Pre-pandemic Levels
(Reuters, 12.Jun.2020) — Utilization rates at refineries owned by Brazil’s Petrobras are nearing pre-pandemic levels, as lower fuel imports by competitors and resilient international demand for bunker fuel provide a boost, the state-run company told Reuters on Friday. According to public data from last week, refineries owned by Petroleo Brasileiro […]
Petrobras Clinches Naphtha Supply Deal From Braskem
(Zacks, 12.Jun.2020) — Petrobras recently grabbed a bargain with a new five-year deal to supply naphtha to Braskem SA’s BAK unit in Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul states. Per the contract, Petrobras will supply at least 650,000 metric tonnes of naphtha annually to Braskem with an additional maximum capacity […]
Mirage Inks Deal With The State Of Puebla
(Mirage, 11.Jun.2020) — Mirage Energy Corporation signed an agreement with Energy Agency of the State of Puebla to develop a pipeline infrastructure project to deliver natural gas to the state and various industrial parks with in the state. This includes the delivery of 500 mmbtupd of natural gas thru this […]
Brazil’s PPSA Issues Pre-salt Oil Share Data
(Argus, 11.Jun.2020) — Brazil’s state-owned pre-salt marketing firm PPSA took around 17pc of crude from three production-sharing contracts in April, according to monthly data published by the firm for the first time. The company’s share of the 56,000 b/d of gross pre-salt production from the Mero, Etorno de Sapinhoa and […]
Power Rate Hike To Hurt Renewable Energy Firms
(Reuters, 11.Jun.2020) — An influential Mexican business lobby on Thursday warned a hike in the price that private power producers pay to access the country’s main electricity transmission grid will deal a blow to the green industry and be passed on to the consumer. Mexico’s Energy Regulation Commission, the power […]
In Venezuela, One Rig Works World’s Biggest Reserves
(Bloomberg, 11.Jun.2020) — Venezuela’s fall from oil superpower to failing producer can be illustrated in one image: a single drilling rig working the world’s largest oil reserves. As fields across the nation shut amid a relentless U.S. campaign to cut Venezuela off from global oil markets, the number of rigs […]
Petrobras Starts Non-binding Phase For Power Plants
(Petrobras, 10.Jun.2020) — Petrobras, following up on the press release disclosed on 13 May 2020, informs the beginning of the non-binding phase regarding the sale of four thermal power plants, three of them located in Camaçari, in the state of Bahia and powered by fuel oil (UTEs Polo Camaçari), and […]
Petrobras On EspĂrito Santo Basin Asset Divestment
(Petrobras, 10.Jun.2020) — Petrobras, in reference to the press released on 1 June 2020, regarding the sale of a part of its interest in the exploratory blocks belonging to the ES-M-596_R11, ES-M-598_R11, ES-M-671_R11, ES-M-673_R11 and ES-M-743_R11 concessions, located in the EspĂrito Santo Basin, hereby discloses to the interested parties that […]
Petrobras On New Naphtha Contracts With Braskem
(Petrobras, 10.Jun.2020) — Petrobras signed new long-term contracts for the supply of petrochemical naphtha with Braskem S.A. for the units in the states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul. The contracts come into force after the current contract closes in December 2020, and have a term of five years, […]
Wave Of Venezuelan Oil Stalled At Sea
(Argus, 10.Jun.2020) — Vessel tracking data shows a fleet of 44 international tankers on the water holding 40.5mn bl of Venezuelan oil as shipowners face growing risk of US sanctions for transporting cargoes to and from the country. The tankers, which include 13 very large crude carriers (VLCCs), 12 Suezmaxes, […]
Petrobras Files 2019 Sustainability Report
(Petrobras, 10.Jun.2020) — Petrobras filed its 2019 Sustainability Report today. In addition to presenting Petrobras’ operational, economic, social, environmental, and governance performance in 2019, the report also includes data regarding the first months of 2020, especially regarding the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the company and the oil industry. […]
Restart Of Virgin Islands Refinery Delayed Again
(Argus, 10.Jun.2020) — The restart of an oil refinery in the US Virgin Islands is poised for another delay because of pandemic restrictions. The refinery was supposed to reopen in July after undergoing a $2bn overhaul by Limetree Bay Ventures, which is owned by US private equity firm Arclight Capital […]
Bolivia Boosts Gas Exports To Argentina
(Energy Analytics Institute, 10.Jun.2020) — Bolivia’s state oil company Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) increased, as of 1 June, natural gas exports requested by IntegraciĂłn EnergĂ©tica Argentina S.A. (IEASA) to 18 million from 16 million cubic meters per day (MMcm/d). IEASA’s gas requirements, during May 2020, the month in which […]
Bolivia Eyes Ramp Up In Gas Exports To Brazil, Argentina
(Energy Analytics Institute, 10.Jun.2020) — Bolivia’s state oil and gas entity Yacimientos Petrolifos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) has boosted natural gas exports as of 1 June 2020 as requested by IntegraciĂłn EnergĂ©tica Argentina S.A. (IEASA) to 18 million cubic meters per day (MMcm/d) from 16 million cubic meters per day while […]
Guyana’s Crude Flow Drops On Technical Glitch
(Argus, 9.Jun.2020) — Guyana’s crude production has plunged by 65pc to 27,500 b/d from early May because of technical problems with compression equipment. “We do not know how long this problem will last,” the country’s environmental production agency director Vincent Adams told Argus today. The compression equipment may have to […]
Echo Provides Update On Santa Cruz Sur Assets
(Energy Analytics Institute, 9.Jun.2020) — Echo Energy has a portfolio of five production concessions in the Austral Basin, Santa Cruz province. The company provided an update on its Santa Cruz Sur assets, which can be seen here. __________ By Aaron Simonsky. © Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.
YPFB LogĂstica Denies Complaints, Allegations
(Energy Analytics Institute, 9.Jun.2020) — YPFB LogĂstica SA, a subsidiary of Bolivia’s state oil company Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), categorically denies malicious intentions related to alleged irregularities in the administrative management of the company and has announced judicial proceedings against officials have begun who participated in irregular practices in […]
Sempra Eyes Closing Of Sale Of Chilquinta EnergĂa
(Sempra, 9.Jun.2020) — Sempra Energy and State Grid International Development Limited (SGID) have jointly announced today that both companies remain firmly committed to completing the sale of Sempra Energy’s equity interests in its Chilean businesses, including its 100% stake in Chilquinta EnergĂa S.A. (Chilquinta EnergĂa), and are targeting June 24 […]