
Argentina reiterated on Thursday warnings to the United Kingdom over the “illegality” and juridical consequences of having awarded oil exploration licences in the Falkland Islands, under British control but which Argentina claims as part of its territory.

While there have been strong protests from the Argentine Government about the drilling program due to start in Falkland Islands waters this month, it has not deterred other companies wanting to join Desire Petroleum, Rockhopper Exploration and Falklands Oil and Gas in the search for oil.

A controversial project to build a massive hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon jungle has received the go-ahead from Brazil’s environmental protection agency, despite objections from environmentalists and indigenous people who live in the area.

Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd., a United Kingdom based explorer in the South Atlantic, plans to start drilling a well southeast of the Falkland Islands in April reports Bloomberg.

Brazil's Cosan, the world's largest ethanol and sugar processor, said announced Monday it signed an agreement to merge its ethanol and fuels distribution business in the country with Royal Dutch Shell in a deal valued as much as 12 billion US dollars.

An assessment that Venezuela sits on one of the largest oil fields on record does not threaten the potential of Canadian reserve development, analysts said.

A new US assessment of Venezuela's oil reserves could give the country double the supplies of Saudi Arabia. Scientists working for the US Geological Survey say Venezuela's Orinoco belt region holds twice as much petroleum as previously thought.
The geologists estimate the area could yield more than 500 billion barrels of crude oil.

Oil company Repsol YPF is studying the impact on its hydrocarbon reserves accounting as a consequence of a change in Bolivian law, but has not made a decision on whether to lower its reserves, a spokesman for Spanish firm confirmed this week in Madrid.

The ugly swarms of algae that plague Chile's beaches may be an alternative energy blessing in disguise. Chilean economic development corporation (CORFO) announced an investment of 7 million US dollars towards a seaweed-based bio-ethanol project spearheaded by Chile and U.S. scientists.

BHP Billiton Ltd., Australia’s biggest oil and gas producer, boosted its forecast for petroleum exploration spending by 33% because of an increase in drilling in the US Gulf of Mexico and offshore Australia.