Argentine energy policy further limits methanol production in south Chile
Canada’s Methanex Corporation announced on Thursday that because of severe restrictions in the provision of natural gas to its plant in the extreme south of Chile, Punta Arenas, Magallanes Region, the company is forced to another re-structuring which will leave 48 people redundant.
“As a consequence of the severe restriction in the supply of natural gas to our Cabo Negro complex, which is already operating at restricted capacity, only one of our four methanol producing plants, Methanex has decided an organization restructuring in Chile which means 48 people will have to leave the company” announced Paul Schiodtz, Methanex Chile general manager.
He added the purpose of the restructuring was to ensure an effective organization and to optimize production of the company in Chile, at competitive costs. “Our previous organization in Chile was designed to operate two plants, which we have concluded is not feasible in the near future”.
Schiodtz said it has been a painful decision because the company has been unable to elude the very complex situation which is a lack of natural gas provision.
He added that it is well known that the board of Methanex has decided to transfer one of the several production units in Chile to Geismar, Louisiana, United States, “a project in which we are working”. But despite this adverse situation the company “has a long term commitment with solving the power problem which impacts on the whole of the Magallanes region”.
“We believe Methanex is part of the solution since our demand for natural gas has propped the development of the Magallanes hydrocarbons’ industry and introduces a long term element to the regional energy market since it is a sustained demand and not seasonal, as for the rest of the region”.
Methanex finally recalls that it has already done two previous restructures since Argentina started cutting the provision of natural gas in mid 2007, in breach of contract. The first in 2008 cost the jobs of 42 people; in 2009 another 37 jobs were involved and now with the latest decision, the work force of the plant has been cut to 50% when the launching of the methanol processing plant.
Methanex established in Punta Arenas in the nineties following on a contract with Argentina for the sustained supply of natural gas from neighbouring Tierra del Fuego. However when the Kirchner couple reached the Casa Rosada, the policy changed drastically and the domestic market was privileged over exports despite contracts.
Currently Argentina has become a net importer of natural gas in winter months.
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15 comments Feed
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Ill do anything, for you dear anything, for you dear anything ,[anything ] foooorrrr yooouuu
SHE REPLIED,
Suck on that beeaatcchh
.
To be fair to my neighbours it is political incompetence rather than deceit that has caused this problem. The fixed domestic tariff on natural gas has led to the current situation, where Argentina can’t even meet their domestic demand and needs to import gas.
The best solution for Chile is massive investment in hydro and reusable, failing that importing from countries outside South America. Argentina will always fail us and Bolivia will always hate us.
Oct 12th, 2012 - 01:23 pm
If Methanex can hold on a few more years, and if someone can finance a pipeline from the Falkland Islands to Punta, the problem will be solved; Falklands gas for Chile!!!!!!!
I am sure the Bolivians would be much happier with benevolent Chileno overlords and well managed resources.
@8 I would be all for that. Just need Evo to push it a little more and we'll put 'em back in the stone age...err..ok willl drag 'em out of the stone age.
The people up there on the Altiplano don't identify with Chile or Bolivia so it would be easy to make it stick.
VATAYON MILITANTE - The Argentine government under Cristina Fernandez de Kircher and The Argentine National penitentiary service, takes inmates out of jail without judicial permission, to attend and participate in political events of Kirchner. The prisoners are paid an “allowance” of $2700 per month for joining this political group. The creation of this Vatayon militante group which are CONVICTED AND INCARCERATED for everything from murderer to armed robbery is becoming the Kirchner government's militant force of the future. If things get rough for Cristina, these prisoners have nothing to lose for defending the Kirchner movement with violence. They also have access to guns and drugs, and prostitues all courtesy of the Kirchner government. The prisoners who are chosen attend these events, is left up to the to the head of the Argentine National Penitentiary Service, Victor Hortel who is a very close ally of Cristina's government He is a former prisoner himself and has very close ties with prison gangs, and has been known to release prisoners at night to go out to steal and even kill, in exchange for drugs, sex and money. Rewarding criminals and prisoners for political purposes, violating all sorts of rules and laws, is proof of the form of government that Argentina is living with and will only get worse in the months and years ahead, especially if Cristina moved forward with her proposal to change the Argentine constitution to allow for her re-re-election for an unlimited amount of presidential terms.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7sfYGJobII
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcmymeZf8jM
don't trust online translators much !
correct saying(writing) of your sentence is :
Daha fazla yazmadan önce, Türkçeni geliştir Lütfen !!!!!!
Shovel a pipe down these yanquis throat. With all the crap that comes out from their mouths, you'll have methane for the next century, for free
#7 And people call me a traitor to my country =)
#10 Seems to me Cristina should be applauded for giving prisoners a second chance, and I don't for a minute believe your wilder allegations, given your record of bias and bile
#12 =)
#14 Or were called such by small, weak men...
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