Energy & Oil

• Wednesday, January 9th 2013 - 05:02 UTC

  Argentina rapidly changing oil/gas industry levies to attract foreign investment

  

  Argentina unveiled a new system of export duties on oil shipments that will cut levies as the government seeks to attract investment to revive stagnant production. The change means energy companies will receive 70 dollars per barrel of exported oil, up from 42 previously. Argentina controls the price of oil exports in order to guarantee domestic supply.

• Tuesday, January 8th 2013 - 19:50 UTC

  British Gas plays the Brazil card and begins oil production in pre-salt Santos basin

  

  British Gas started oil production at the Sapinhoa field off Brazil, one of the “Big Five” discoveries in the pre-salt Santos Basin. Along with Petrobras and Repsol, BG plans to pump an initial 25.000 barrels a day from the deposit in BM-S-9 Block, the England-based producer said in a statement.

• Tuesday, January 8th 2013 - 00:04 UTC

  Uruguay wants to become one of the world’s leading wind power producers

  

  The Uruguayan government has set its sights on becoming one of the world's leading wind power producers as part of plans to produce 90% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015, although much of the plan is still on the drawing board.

• Monday, January 7th 2013 - 14:09 UTC

  Iceland with Norway support awards off shore oil and gas licences

  

  Iceland has awarded two licences for oil and gas exploration and production in the waters off the north east coast of the Atlantic island.

• Friday, January 4th 2013 - 05:29 UTC

  Former Director of three Departments awarded MBE ‘for services to Falklands’ interests’

  

  The only Falkland Islander to figure in this year’s New Year’s Honours List was recently retired Director of Mineral Resources, Phyllis Mary Rendell, who was awarded an MBE for, “services to Falkland Islands interests.”

• Saturday, December 29th 2012 - 06:30 UTC

  YPF signs shale gas exploration deals with Pan American Energy and Bridas

  

  Argentina’s nationalized oil and gas company YPF announced on Friday that Pan American Energy, PAE, would be investing 3.4bn dollars in gas production in the next five years while Bridas, belonging to the Bulgheroni brothers said it plans to invest 1.5bn dollars in the development of the non conventional shale deposits in Vaca Muerta.

• Saturday, December 29th 2012 - 06:26 UTC

  Spain lifts ban on Argentine bio-diesel; annual exports total 1.1bn dollars

  

  Spain has taken a step back with import restrictions on Argentina’s bio-diesel applied in a reprisal move after Argentine president Cristina Fernandez decided to seize control of energy company YPF, subsidiary of Spanish Repsol, earlier this year.

• Wednesday, December 26th 2012 - 07:17 UTC

  Fuel-price controls force Brazil to import 12bn dollars in oil and refined products

  

  Brazil faces record trade deficits in petroleum products in 2012 and 2013 as a result of government fuel-price controls, problems with its refining system and rising consumer demand, the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper reported last weekend.

• Wednesday, December 26th 2012 - 06:53 UTC

  Falklands’ share Norway’s oil wealth fund and port infrastructure experience

  

  Though plagued with flu and taking place largely in darkness, the recent visit to Norway by Members of the Legislative Assembly and senior government officials appears to have produced encouraging results and shone some light on possible developments in the Falkland Islands, according to MLA Dick Sawle.

• Wednesday, December 26th 2012 - 06:03 UTC

  YPF and PDVSA will explore Malvinas continental shelf for oil, says Pagina 12

  

  According to reports in the Argentine media, the nationalized Argentine oil company YPF, formerly owned by Spain's Repsol, will be teaming up with Venezuelan oil giant PDVSA to explore the continental shelf around the Falkland/Malvinas Islands for oil.