LatAmOil - Latin America Oil & Gas

Ecuador resumes pumping Colombian crude to coast after tariff row halted flows

Ecuador's state-owned Petroecuador has restarted transporting crude from Colombian producers Ecopetrol and Amerisur through the San Miguel-Lago Agrio (OSLA) and Trans-Ecuadorian (SOTE) pipelines.

Argentina approves $3.2bn in new Vaca Muerta projects under RIGI

Argentina has approved two projects worth more than $3.2bn by energy company Transportadora de Gas del Sur (TGS) under its Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI), aimed at processing natural gas liquids from the Vaca Muerta shale formation.

Cox to invest $1.8bn in El Salvador gas infrastructure

Spanish energy and water group Cox will invest $2.9bn in gas, solar power, battery storage and drinking water projects in El Salvador, with more than half of the total in gas infrastructure.

Uruguay's imports jump 12% on oil purchases

Uruguay's imports grew 12% between January and August 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, while exports showed no change.

Argentina’s Mendoza targets RIGI approval for $4.5bn YPF unconventional oil project

Argentina’s Mendoza province is seeking approval under the Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) for a $4.5bn unconventional oil and gas project involving state-controlled energy company YPF.

Fitch holds Colombia's GeoPark at B+ amid Venezuela expansion

Fitch Ratings kept the long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings of Colombia-focused oil producer GeoPark (NYSE: GPRK) at 'B+' with a Stable outlook.

Bolivia taps $1.9bn IMF lifeline as dwindling gas leaves fuel bill soaring

Bolivia is leaning on international lenders to stay afloat as shrinking gas reserves and costlier imported fuel squeeze the economy, with the government now committed to cutting subsidies and public spending in return for support.

Brazil's seasonal diesel import peak delayed to late October, Vortexa says

Brazil's seaborne diesel imports have fallen below their usual seasonal range in recent weeks, and their annual peak is now expected to slip to at least the end of October as more cargoes head for the country.

Argentina formally approves Pluspetrol’s $12bn Vaca Muerta investment

Argentina’s government formally approved a $12.24bn investment by oil company Pluspetrol to develop the Bajo del Choique–La Invernada project in the Vaca Muerta shale formation, with plans to produce more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day.

Argentina’s YPF awards Archer drilling contract worth up to $110mn

Argentina’s state-run oil company YPF has awarded drilling services provider Archer a three-year contract, with an option to extend it by two years, to support operations in the Vaca Muerta shale formation.

Equinor's Bacalhau field in Brazil hits 25mn barrels in first year

Norway's Equinor said its Bacalhau oilfield in Brazil had produced 25mn barrels of oil in its first year of operation, with the field getting close to peak output and on track to reach 220,000 barrels per day in 2026.

Temu and Shein debate reaches Colombia’s Congress as China widens import lead

Venezuela’s oil law overhaul puts Russian investments at risk

Venezuela’s plan to let foreign companies take controlling stakes in oil fields and manage operations is raising concerns in Moscow that Russian energy investments could lose ground as Caracas deepens its ties with Washington

Venezuela bets on $76bn oil push to rebuild production

Venezuela is counting on a multibillion-dollar investment programme to reverse years of decline in its oil industry, with interim President Delcy Rodríguez projecting nearly $76bn in spending over the next five years

Venezuela oil output rises 8% as PDVSA reports more than 1.2mn bpd

Venezuela’s oil production climbed 8% to more than 1.2mn barrels per day by the end of the third quarter of 2026, as state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela seeks to attract investment, expand commercial partnerships and restore ageing infrastructure

Canada's NG Energy raises expected Colombian gas output as new well starts production

NG Energy International expects output at its María Conchita gas field in Colombia to rise to 23mn cubic feet per day (0.65mn cubic metres per day) gross after its Aruchara-6 well entered production

BP finds hydrocarbon signs in Brazil’s Tupinambá offshore block

British energy company BP has identified signs of hydrocarbons in the first exploration well drilled in the Tupinambá block in Brazil’s pre-salt Santos Basin, marking another step in its offshore exploration campaign.

US leaves Citgo ownership dispute unresolved as appeal proceeds

The legal battle over Citgo’s future is continuing without a clear signal from Washington, as the US government has declined to take a position on an appeal involving the Venezuelan-owned refiner’s proposed $5.9bn sale

Machado criticises Trump-backed oil partner as she seeks return to Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado challenged Washington’s oil strategy in Venezuela, accusing businessman Alejandro Betancourt of “obscene corruption”

Colombia's Ecopetrol appoints Barreneche as compliance chief after García exit

Colombian state-controlled oil producer Ecopetrol has appointed José Eduardo Barreneche Ávila as corporate compliance director, replacing Rodolfo Mario García after his employment ended by mutual agreement, the company said in an announcement

Engie Chile brings Mejillones online as country's first coal-to-gas conversion

Engie Chile has secured commercial operation for Infraestructura Energética Mejillones (IEM), the first coal-fired power unit in the country to be converted to natural gas.

Latin American goods exports set for 20% surge in 2026, ECLAC says

Brazil’s Petrobras to receive $859mn from partners after Santos Basin stake changes

Petrobras will receive a net payment of about $859mn from partners Shell, TotalEnergies, and Petrogal after the companies agreed to rebalance costs and volumes in the Berbigao and Sururu fields.

China buys half of Brazil's oil exports as Hormuz closure lifts trade

China bought half of Brazil's oil exports as the war on Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz, helping push Brazilian sales to the Asian country to a record in the first nine months of the year, according to a report by the Brazil-China Business Council.

Wall Street sees downside risk for Colombia's Ecopetrol shares despite Venezuela opportunity

Ecopetrol’s US-listed shares face potential downside of 18.2% over the next 12 months, according to Bloomberg’s analyst consensus, as Wall Street weighs the Colombian oil producer’s rally against valuation concerns and uncertain opportunities