(Reuters, Marianna Parraga, 22.Aug.2019) — The two new top executives at Citgo Petroleum disclosed this week that net income in the second quarter slid to less than half its level a year earlier, hit by a broad slump for the refining industry as well as complications from U.S. sanctions on […]
Category: Latin America and the Caribbean
Wind Developers Losing Heart On Mexico Amid Stall
(Chron.com, Emily Pickrell, 22.Aug.2019) — Mannti Cummins, a Corpus Christi wind developer, has spent the last 17 years building wind energy projects in the Rio Grande Valley, from Brownsville to Baffin Bay. So when Mexico deregulated its power markets as part of the nation’s landmark energy reforms six years ago, […]
Equinor Inks Deal With YPF, Expands In Argentina
(Zacks, 22.Aug.2019 ) — Equinor ASA recently announced the signing of a deal with the Argentine energy company, YPF Sociedad AnĂłnima YPF, to jointly conduct exploration activities in the CAN 100 Block. The offshore prospect — acquired by YPF Sociedad in May — is located in the North Argentinian Basin. […]
Argentina, Chile Ink Emergency Energy Deal
(Energy Analytics Institute, Aaron Simonsky, 22.Aug.2019) — Argentina’s Energy Secretariat Gustavo Lopetegui held meetings with his Chilean counterpart Juan Carlos Jobet to sign an Emergency Energy Coordination Protocol for energy emergencies and discuss bilateral energy cooperation affecting both natural gas, crude oil and electrical interconnections. The Emergency Energy Coordination Protocol […]
Argentina NatGas Exports Reach 5.9 MMcm/d In 1H:19
(Energy Analytics Institute, Aaron Simonsky, 22.Aug.2019) — Argentina shipped an average 5.9 million cubic meters per day (MMcm/d) of natural gas to Chile, Brazil and Uruguay during the first half of 2019. Argentina re-initiated gas exports to Chile in September 2018 under an interruptible modality, after abruptly suspending shipments in […]
Bolsonaro Wants To Privatize Petrobras
(Reuters, 21.Aug.2019) — The economic team of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants to privatize state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA before the end of his term in 2022, Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported on its website on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. The report also cites a speech by Economy Minister […]
EIG Reports Advances At Port of Açu
(EIG, 21,Aug.2019) — EIG Global Energy Partners, controlling shareholder of Prumo LogĂstica S.A., a private Brazilian company leading the energy infrastructure hub at Port of Açu, announced major developments at Prumo. Among them, Gas Natural Açu (“GNA”), a joint venture among Prumo, BP and Siemens focused on the development and […]
SQM Reports 2Q:19 Earnings
(SQM, 21.Aug.2019) — SQM reported net income for the six months ended June 30, 2019 of US$150.7 million. Highlights — SQM reported net income for the six months ended June 30, 2019 of US$150.7 million. — Earnings per share totaled US$0.57 for the first half of 2019, lower than the […]
Atlas Says Brazil Solar Plant To Generate 357 GWh/Year
(Atlas, 21.Aug.2019) — Atlas Renewable Energy, leader in clean energy across Latin America, announces that its largest project in Brazil, the Juazeiro Solar Plant, is fully operational. The plant has an installed capacity of 156 MWp (megawatts peak) and will generate an estimated 357 GWh yearly. Located in Juazeiro, state […]
Colombia Pipeline Ready To Transport More Crude
(Reuters, 21.Aug.201 9) — Pipeline company Oleoducto de Colombia is ready to move increased crude output from the center of Colombia to the Caribbean if the use of fracking is approved in the Andean country, the company’s chief executive said on Wednesday. Both the government and investors interested in possible […]
Bolsonaro Said Wanting To Privatize Petrobras: Rpt
(Reuters, 21.Aug.2019 ) — The economic team of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants to privatize state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA before the end of his term in 2022, Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported on its website on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. The report also cites a speech by Economy […]
Equinor And YPF Ink Offshore Exploration Deal
(Equinor, 21.Aug.2019) — Equinor’s executive vice president for Exploration, Tim Dodson, and YPF’s CEO Daniel Gonzalez have signed an agreement to jointly explore the CAN 100 offshore block, located in the North Argentinian Basin. The preliminary agreement, which was signed at Equinor’s office in Oslo, Norway, sets the core terms […]
Argentina Inks NatGas Export Deal With Chile
(Energy Analytics Institute, Aaron Simonsky, 21.Aug.2019) — Argentina and Chile signed an agreement for the export of natural gas from the former to the latter. The deal — under the framework of Resolution 417/19 from 26 July (which established new guidelines for regarding authorization of natural gas exports) — through […]
SQM To Hold 2Q:19 Conference Call
(SQM, 21.Aug.2019) — SQM will hold a conference call to discuss these results on Thursday, August 22, at 12:00pm ET (12:00pm Chile time). Participant Dial-In (Toll Free): 1-855-238-1018 Participant International Dial-In: 1-412-542-4107 Webcast: https://services.choruscall.com/links/sqm190822.html ***
China Stays Venezuela Course
(Argus, 20.Aug.2019) — The Chinese government is so far showing no sign of curtailing its oil ties to Venezuela, despite state-owned PetroChina’s rescheduling of Merey crude loadings in August. Argus has confirmed that state-owned PetroChina’s trading arm ChinaOil rescheduled up to seven VLCCs of heavy sour Merey in August that […]
Argentina’s Energy Secretariat Meets With Governors, Companies
(Energy Analytics Institute, Aaron Simonsky, 20.Aug.2019) — Argentina’s Energy Secretariat Gustavo Lopetegui held a meeting in provinces with governors and oil company executives to discuss recently announced freezes to oil and fuel prices. This was the first such discussion in which the Argentine government sought to establish joint dialogue with […]
New Caracas Blackout Compounds Energy Woes
(AP, 20.Aug.2019) — Parts of Venezuela’s capital and at least one state endured a power blackout on Tuesday lasting several hours, in an occurrence that has become commonplace in the crisis-stricken nation beset by energy woes. The power went out in a wide swath of Caracas during the early afternoon, […]
ONGC Videsh To Exit Colombian Blocks
(Cogencis, Sukalp Sharma, 20.Aug.2019) — ONGC Videsh Ltd plans to relinquish three exploratory blocks–RC-9, RC-10, and GUA OFF-2–in Colombia in the current financial year ending March due to adverse hydrocarbon prospectivity in these blocks, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Cogencis. ONGC Videsh is the overseas investment arm […]
Argentina Seeks To Stabilize Peso As Oil Companies Fret About Price Freeze
(S&P Global Platts, 20.Aug.2019) — Argentina’s newly installed economy minister, Hernan Lacunza, said Tuesday he will focus on stabilizing the currency as the key to pulling the country’s economy out of recession and reducing inflation, yet he will face pressure from oil companies who are concerned that a 90-day freeze […]
Petrobras Informs Of CARF Favorable Decision
(Petrobras, 20.Aug.2019) — Petrobras reports that the Administrative Board of Tax Appeals (CARF) issued today a favorable decision on an administrative tax proceeding regarding the collection of CIDE – Importtax on remittances abroad for the payment of charter contracts in the year 2013, in the approximate amount of R$ 5.1 […]
15 Guyanese Companies To Attend Aberdeen Exhibition
(Stabroek News, 20.Aug.2019) — The representatives of 15 Guyanese companies will be participating in an oil and gas conference and exhibition in Aberdeen, Scotland, next month. This was revealed yesterday by President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GGCI) Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer during a briefing at the residence of […]
‘The More Operators In Guyana’s Oil Fields The Better’
(Stabroek News, 20.Aug.2019) — Guyana is better off with more operators and countries involved in its oil fields, British High Commissioner to Guyana Gregory Quinn has said in wake of UK-based Tullow Oil’s recent offshore oil discovery. Tullow last week announced the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in its […]
Trinidad Inks Definitive Agreement With Shell
(Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, 19.Aug.2019) — The Honourable Minister of Energy and Energy Industries announces the finalization of negotiations between the Government and Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited on gas related issues. In April 2018, a Team led by the Honourable Prime Minister held high-level discussions with the […]
CNPC Suspends Venezuelan Oil Loading
(Reuters, Chen Aizhu and Marianna Parraga, 18.Aug.2019) — China National Petroleum Corp, a leading buyer of Venezuelan oil, has halted August loadings following the latest U.S. sanctions on the South American exporter, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday. The Trump administration in early August […]
Colombia’s Transandino Pipeline Damaged
(Reuters, 17.Aug.2019) — A bomb and two illegal valves have damaged sections of Colombia’s Transandino pipeline, state-run oil company Ecopetrol said on Saturday. The two valves, installed to steal crude, were placed by unknown persons in the municipality of Barbacoas in southwestern Narino province, near the border with Ecuador, the […]
BW Offshore Gets ANH Approval For Maromba Field
(BW Offshore, 17.Aug.2019) — BW Offshore (BWO) announced The Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) has granted BW Offshore status as operator in Brazil and approved the transfer of Chevron and Petrobras’ participating interest in the Maromba field to BW Offshore. “We are proud to announce […]
Argentina Enforces Fuel Price Caps
(Argus, 16.Aug.2019) — The price cap takes effect immediately, according to a decree published in the Official Bulletin, the newspaper of record. The downstream sector must keep oil product prices at the same levels as August 9 in all outlets, including retail and wholesale, through November 15, the decree states. […]
Argentina Freezes Local Oil, Fuel Prices For 90 Days
(Baker McKenzie, 16.Aug.2019) — In a context of a series of government measures aimed at appeasing the adverse economic effects arising as a result of the recent primary presidential elections in Argentina, the National Executive Branch issued today Emergency Decree 566/2019 freezing the exchange rate and price of crude oil […]
Argentina Caps Oil Prices By Decree
(Argus, 16.Aug.2019) — Argentina implemented a three-month freeze on fuel and crude prices through an emergency decree, eschewing an earlier plan to apply a decades-old law that was designed to avoid shortages. The decree specifies that refiners and hydrocarbon producers must fulfill all existing domestic demand during the period when […]
Sungrow Supplies Argentina’s Solar Plant
(Sungrow, 16.Aug.2019) — Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, announced that a 100.1 MWp solar plant utilizing the Company’s 1500Vdc central inverter solutions came online in Cafayate, Salta Province, Argentina, demonstrating the Company’s dedicated contribution to the largest solar plant in one of LATAM’s most booming solar […]
CNPC Backs Out Of Oil Purchases With Venezuela On Sanctions Scare
(Oilprice.com, Julianne Geiger, 16.Aug.2019) — Russia and China have stuck with Venezuela during its most recent time of need, but at least one of their loyalties may soon come to an end, according to anonymous sources who spoke to Bloomberg on Friday. CPNC’s PetroChina has canceled loading plans in August […]
Suriname Seeking Funds for Offshore Exploration
(Reuters, 16.Aug.2019) — Suriname’s state-owned oil company is planning a bond sale next year to finance offshore oil exploration, its chief executive said on Thursday, as it seeks to capitalize on growing hype over neighboring Guyana’s looming oil boom. The company, Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname, would also consider listing some of […]
OPEC Sees Bearish Oil Outlook For Rest Of 2019
(Reuters, Alex Lawler, 16.Aug.2019) — OPEC delivered a downbeat oil market outlook for the rest of 2019 on Friday as economic growth slows and highlighted challenges in 2020 as rivals pump more, building a case to keep up an OPEC-led pact to curb supply. In a monthly report, the Organization […]
Petrobras Wins 2019 Transparency Trophy
(Petrobras, 16.Aug.2019) — Petrobras reports that it is one of the winning companies of the 2019 Transparency Trophy. The company was among the 10 best in Brazil in the category of publicly traded companies with revenues over R$ 5 billion. The award evaluates criteria such as the quality of the […]
Mexican Gov’t To Keep Investing In Pemex
(Reuters, 16.Aug.2019) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that his government would keep investing in state oil company Pemex, which is on the verge of losing its investment grade rating. Fitch Ratings downgraded roughly $80 billion of bonds to speculative grade – or “junk” status – […]
Suriname’s State Oil Entity Plans Bond Issuance
(Reuters, Ank Kuipers, 15.Aug.2019) — Suriname’s state-owned oil company is planning a bond sale next year to finance offshore oil exploration, its chief executive said on Thursday, as it seeks to capitalize on growing hype over neighboring Guyana’s looming oil boom. The company, Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname, would also consider listing […]
PetroRio Records Net Revenue Of R$547.9mn
(PetroRio, 15.Aug.2019) — PetroRio, the largest independent oil and gas company in the country, closed the second quarter of 2019 with records in operational and financial metrics, consolidating the success of the acquisition and integration of Campo de Frade. Net revenue recorded a record of R$547.9mn, a result attributed to […]
Fact Box: PetroRio’s Frade And Polvo Fields
(PetroRio, 15.Aug.2019) — Details of PetroRio’s Frade and Polvo Fields in Brazil. Frade Field The Frade Field is located in deepwaters of Campos Basin, about 125km from the city of Cabo Frio and 172km from Polvo Field. It has been producing commercially since early 2009. PetroRio joined the concession in […]
US Set To Sanction Rosneft Oil, Fuel Trade With PDVSA
(S&P Global Platts, 15.Aug.2019) — The US is set to impose sanctions on Rosneft if it continues to trade crude oil and fuel with Venezuela’s PDVSA in exchange for debt repayments and stakes in joint venture projects in the South American nation, a senior Trump administration official told S&P Global […]
Venezuela’s Congress To Consider Scaled-back Reform
(Reuters, By Luc Cohen, 15.Aug.2019) — Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress is considering reforms to the country’s oil law that would open up the sector to private investment but are scaled back from the sweeping changes outlined in a past proposal, according to a draft of the bill seen by Reuters. The […]
Petrobras Updates On CDB Debt Pre-Payment
(Petrobras, 14.Aug.2019) — Petrobras reports that today it fully prepaid a financing contract with China Development Bank (CBD) due in 2024, totaling US$ 3 billion. The company also notified CBD on the advanced payment of another loan, in the amount of US$ 5 billion and whose maturity would be in […]
Citgo Petroleum Corp. Names Carlos E. Jorda As CEO
(Citgo, 14.Aug.2019) — The Board of Directors of Citgo Petroleum Corporation has selected Carlos E. Jorda to occupy the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position after a thorough and extensive search process that began earlier this year. Mr. Jorda has deep knowledge of Citgo and its stakeholders based on his previous […]
Petrobras Clarifies About Fertilizer Divestments
(Petrobras, 14.Aug.2019) — Petrobras clarifies, in relation to news disclosed by the media, that the values related to the sale of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Unit III (UFN-III) are not correct. Pursuant to the release to the market dated June 14, 2019, Petrobras reiterates that the competitive process for the sale […]
Petrobras Promotes Advances In Governance
(Petrobras, 14.Aug.2019) — Petrobras informs that it continuously improves its governance system, in compliance with the best market practices, with the objective of strengthening internal controls and the efficiency of the decision making process, which is fundamental in a competitive business environment. The company conducted a diagnosis, approved by the […]
PDVSA Partners Fear Latest U.S. Sanctions: Sources
(Reuters, Luc Cohen, 14.Aug.2019) — Foreign joint venture partners with Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA are concerned the latest set of U.S. sanctions on the South American country could disrupt their operations, three industry sources said. The Trump administration last week froze all Venezuelan government assets in the United States […]
Petrobras Confirms CAPEX For 2019-2023 Set At $84.1bn
(Petrobras, 14.Aug.2019) — Petrobras reports it has received the Official Letter No. 713/2019-SLS, which requests the following clarification: Official Letter nÂş 713/2019-SLS “Dear Gentlemen, In a news report published by the newspaper “Valor EconĂ´mico”, on 08/14/2019, under the headline “Petrobras’ CEO expects to invest US$ 100 billion in five years”, […]
Guaido Names Execs To Debt Renegotiating Commission
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 13.Aug.2019) — Venezuela’s National Assembly leader Juan Guaido announced creation of a special commission dedicated to renegotiating the OPEC country’s public debt, the assembly reported Aug. 13 in an official statement. A special presidential advisory commission selected to renegotiate public debt and appointed by the […]
Petrobras Says 20+ Groups Interested In Refineries
(Reuters, 13.Aug.2019) — More than 20 potential bidders are interested in the refineries that Brazil’s state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA plans to sell, the company’s chief executive officer said on Tuesday. CEO Roberto Castello Branco said more than 20 groups are interested in the four refineries in a first […]
Citgo To Name New CEO
(Reuters, Marianna Parraga, 13.Aug.2019) — Citgo Petroleum Corp has selected Carlos Jorda as its next chief executive, according to three people familiar with the matter, turning to a seasoned refinery expert and native Venezuelan to run a company facing legal attacks and working under U.S. sanctions against parent Petroleos de […]
Ecopetrol Group Announces Second Quarter 2019 Results
(Ecopetrol 12.Aug.2019) — Ecopetrol S.A. announced the Ecopetrol Group’s financial results for the second quarter of 2019, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards applicable in Colombia. In words of Felipe BayĂłn Pardo, CEO of Ecopetrol: “In the first half of 2019 the Ecopetrol Group reported a net profit […]