LatAmOil: Bolivia’s natural gas exports to Argentina sink in May

Bolivian natural gas deliveries to Argentina were down by more than 50% year on year in May, according to official data from the Santa Cruz Departmental Centre for Monitoring and Control of Hydrocarbons and the country’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy.

El Deber, citing figures from these sources, reported that Bolivia had exported 6.34mn cubic metres per day of gas to Argentina in May 2023, down by 53.3% on the figure of 13.58 mcm per day posted in the same month of last year. The decline coincided with a fall in domestic gas output and rising domestic demand, the newspaper said.

The fall in output comes at an inopportune time for Argentina, where demand has been rising due to cold weather. Both countries typically see gas consumption levels rise between the months of May and September, when temperatures drop.