LatAmOil - Latin America Oil & Gas

Ecopetrol launches new bidding round

Colombia’s national oil company (NOC) Ecopetrol confirmed on September 30 that it had begun a new round of auctions for nine upstream sites.

US prosecutors charge ex-Vitol employee in connection with Brazil’s Car Wash probe

US prosecutors have charged a former US employee of Vitol, a Swiss energy trading group, with bribery as part of Brazil’s long-running Lava Jato (“Car Wash”) corruption investigation.

Echo Energy mulls micro-LNG project in Argentina

US-based Echo Energy is looking into the possibility of launching a micro-LNG initiative in Argentina.

PetroTal brings Bretaña oilfield back online

Canada’s PetroTal has resumed oil production at the Bretaña oilfield in Peru’s Loreto department.

Mexico may reverse energy liberalisation, president says

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said that his administration may reverse the energy reform programme that his predecessor enacted less than a decade ago.

CNOOC to resume exploration at offshore block in northern Gulf of Mexico

China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) intends to resume exploration activities offshore Mexico after a hiatus of several months.

Guyana extends oil marketing tender deadline, citing pandemic

The deadline for the submission of proposals for marketing the Guyanese government’s share of oil production has been extended to September 29, owing to complications related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Ecuador will allow private companies to import, sell fuels

The government of Ecuador has unveiled a market-oriented reform programme that will allow privately owned companies to import and sell some fuels.

NRG: The blue-green future

Energy consumers and producers are evaluating how the arrival of hydrogen as a mainstream source of fuel will affect their environmental, political and financial goals.

BP shares tumble to 25-year low as investors doubt clean energy strategy

Fitch affirms Promigas ratings

US-based Fitch Ratings said last week that it had affirmed the credit ratings of Promigas, a Colombian natural gas transporter, and reported that its outlook for the company was stable.

Venezuela and Iran take the next step

The latest tankers to bring Iranian fuel to Venezuela are also handling the latter country’s crude exports.

Ecuador to call tender for Esmeraldas refinery in December

Ecuador’s Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Resources will call a tender for the right to operate the Esmeraldas refinery in late December.

Canada’s Crystallex asks US court to set date for PDVH stock sale

Crystallex, a Canadian mining firm, has asked a judge in the US federal court system to set a date for the sale of shares in Citgo's parent company PdV Holding (PDVH), a US-based affiliate of Venezuela’s national oil company (NOC) PdVSA.

Hague court backs Chevron in $9.5bn Ecuador case

The District Court of The Hague has backed US supermajor Chevron in its dispute with Ecuador’s government over alleged environmental damage in the Amazon region.