LatAmOil - Latin America Oil & Gas

Sabotage takes 31 wells offline at Colombian oilfield

Colombia’s national oil company (NOC) Ecopetrol has suspended operations at more than 30 wells at the La Cira-Infantas oilfield, following a series of attacks by protesters over the weekend.

YPFB lowers minimum volume for gas deliveries to Brazil

Bolivia’s national oil company (NOC) YPFB has agreed to let the minimum volume of natural gas pumped through an overland pipeline to Brazil drop from 14mn cubic metres per day to 10 mcm per day.

Guyana receives $35mn for second oil cargo

Guyana has received $35mn for its second oil lifting of the year, which consisted of 1mn barrels of crude. This sum was significantly less than the $55mn the country received for its first export cargo, which went to market in February.

Colombia set to award fracking contracts this year

Colombia’s government is on track to award contracts for pilot projects involving hydraulic fracturing (fracking) this year.

Shell suspends operations at Vaca Muerta block

Royal Dutch Shell briefly suspended operations at Bajada de Añelo, a block within Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation, after registering seismic activity in the region last week. The shutdown came to an end after just two days.

Bahamas Petroleum Co. acquires Columbus Energy for GBP25mn

Bahamas Petroleum Co. will spend GBP25mn to acquire Columbus Energy, in a merger that will create a Caribbean and Atlantic margin-focused oil and gas “champion.”

Ecuador restarts SOTE crude pipeline after completing bypass section

State-owned PetroEcuador has restarted the Trans-Ecuadorian Oil Pipeline System (SOTE), which has been damaged repeatedly by a series of floods.

NRG: Looking beyond the crisis

Venezuela’s Iranian stopgap

Gasoline shortages are likely to remain a problem for Maduro after Iranian supplies run out.

Technical problems force production rates down at Liza oilfield

Guyana may not be able to load its third cargo of crude oil for export on schedule next month, owing to setbacks at Liza, the country’s only operating field.

Pemex reportedly cancels $160mn worth of service contracts

Pemex has reportedly cancelled contracts with a number of its major suppliers and service providers

Re-opening of St. Croix refinery likely to be delayed again

The government of the US Virgin Islands has indicated that the re-opening of the St. Croix oil refinery is likely to be delayed once more.

AES, Tropigas affiliates team up to deliver LNG by truck in Panama, Costa Rica

Affiliates of US-based AES and Tropigas of the Dominican Republic have teamed up to distribute LNG by truck in two Central American countries.

Mexico refuses to extend oil output cuts

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said that Mexico is not in a position to extend oil output cuts and has called for other countries to do so instead.

Ecuador declares force majeure after pipeline stoppage

Ecuador declared force majeure on all upstream exploration and production activities last week, after its SOTE pipeline stopped operating.

ANP: Brazilian oil production steady in April despite pandemic

Production of crude oil in Brazil rose year on year in April, despite the fall in demand and stoppages related to the coronavirus crisis, according to the state regulator ANP.

Argentina preparing to launch tender for Vaca Muerta block

Argentina is reportedly getting ready to launch a tender for a section of the Vaca Muerta formation known as Loma Amarilla Norte.

IOCs call on Brazil to switch from PSCs to concessions

Several of the international oil companies (IOCs) operating in Brazil say the country needs to begin offering concession terms for its pre-salt acreage and abandon production-sharing contracts (PSCs).

Guyana forging ahead with gas-to-power project

Guyana’s government is reportedly moving forward with plans to use natural gas from the offshore Stabroek block as fuel for domestic electricity production.

Venezuela hikes gasoline prices, alters rules governing fuel sales

Venezuela’s government has made significant changes to regulations governing gasoline pricing and distribution.

Mexico’s Libre Abordo bankrupt, says Venezuela ended oil-for-food deal

Libre Abordo, the Mexico-based company involved in a controversial oil-for-water agreement with Venezuela, has declared bankruptcy.

Colombian oil transport firms to extend reduced pipeline charges

State-controlled oil transportation companies in Colombia have agreed to extend previously offered reductions in pipeline charges amidst persistently low oil prices.

Coronavirus cases spread among Brazil’s offshore oil producers

At least six oil companies have now registered cases of coronavirus infection among their employees or contractors working at facilities offshore Brazil.

Petrobras takes steps to give independent producers access to gas plants

Brazil’s state-controlled oil company Petrobras said last week that it had begun taking steps to allow other companies to access its natural gas-processing plants.

Golar LNG reveals outlook for projects in Africa, South America

Bermuda-registered Golar LNG has issued an update on its activities related to projects in Africa and South America.