MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

ENAP to invest 49 million US dollars

The Chilean government owned oil company, ENPA, will be investing a total of 334 million US dollars during 2004, of which 49 million in Magallanes Region, according to the latest announcement of the company.

This represents 26 million US dollars more than last year and the sum will be concentrated in four main projects mainly natural gas and closely linked to the methanol industry concentrated in Punta Arenas.

"One is the Posesión gas field, we're going to increase compression so we can pump more gas for Methanex; another is investment in plants so we can process more natural gas to supply Methanex fourth block; a general capacity expansion of the oil and gas network of pipelines and finally further exploration in the Mercedes lake", said ENAP Punta Arenas General Manager Daniel Fernández.

As to the possibility of an ethylene plant Mr. Fernández said it much depended on the capacity of Argentina to deliver sufficient gas, "we don't have more available in Chile".

Regarding a fifth block for the successful Methanex plant Mr. Fernández argued he is no position to talk about a private company but if this is the case "Enap will continue to deliver gas and the necessary transport facilities. Don't forget we expanded the port operating capacity, we built a second jetty, and with this infrastructure no fifth block can be added to the Methanex plant".

Mr. Fernández also promised to keep residential gas fares unchanged for the coming winter, a very controversial issue in Punta Arenas.

"Those are the president's instructions (unchanged gas fares) so we'll do our outmost to make sure that is so"