
The escalade between the Argentine government and the oil companies seems to have cooled off for a few hours on Tuesday following a meeting of Planning Minister Julio De Vido with top officials from Petrobras Argentina, and which was described as ‘productive’.

British oil giant BP will not be involved in exploration or production activities in the Falkland Islands, according to the Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry which just a few days ago sent threatening letters to oil industry and financial corporations which could be working or assessing in the disputed South Atlantic waters.

Repsol's chairman Antonio Brufau has asked for a meeting with officials from the Argentine government, which investors fear could seize control of the Spanish oil major's unit in Argentina, YPF.

Mexico’s presidential front-runner wants state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) to emulate the success of Brazil’s Petrobras and ramp up private-sector involvement that could possibly pave the way for a stock listing in the future.

Brazilian oil giant Petrobras assured that it has complied with all terms of its Argentine Patagonia Neuquén province oil exploitation contract, following provincial governor Jorge Sapag's announcement of the termination of the concession contract in Veta Escondida area.

Argentina’s Planning Minister Julio de Vido denied a report by Buenos Aires newspaper Clarin that the government is working on a plan to use state-controlled pensions Anses to buy a stake in oil corporation YPF, he said in a statement.

Chile's Supreme Court Wednesday removed the last legal obstacle to building a giant 2.9 billion dollars hydroelectric complex in the Patagonian wilderness, rejecting a bid by environmentalists to block it.

Shares in Argentina's biggest energy company, YPF plummeted on Tuesday because of growing investor fear over a possible government plan to seize control of the oil firm.

Thirty years after the Falklands/Malvinas war, Latin America seems to be closing ranks behind Argentina's sovereignty claim over the disputed islands and reviving a bid for control in the resource-rich South Atlantic.

UK’s BP, BG Group, London-based Tullow Oil and French oil major Total were awarded a total of eight offshore blocks in an Uruguayan bidding round and will invest 1.56 billion dollars in exploration of those areas, state energy company Ancap announced.