Investments

• Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:57 UTC

  Falklands oil companies agree on tension leg platform for development of Sea Lion field

  

  The Tension Leg Platform option is the most suitable technical and commercial solution for the development of the Falklands' Sea Lion field, according to the recommendation from field operator Premier Oil, said Rockhopper Exploration in an official release, which also announced further drilling is expected in the next twelve months.

• Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:54 UTC

  Falklands Sea Lion in 'the mid to longer term projects' of Premier Oil

  

  UK independent Premier Oil reported Thursday that its production rate peaked at 75,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day during December, when the average rate was 69,000 boepd. Premier said that average production for 2013 as a whole was 58,200 boepd, compared to an average rate of 57,700 boepd for 2012.

• Thursday, January 16th 2014 - 09:04 UTC

  Open pit mining project in Uruguay questioned in Parliament and by environmentalists

  

  A major open pit mining project in Uruguay to extract and export magnetite (a kind of iron ore) and which the government of President Jose Mujica plans to instrument this month has been exposed to a battery of criticism because the administration refuses to show the terms of the contract and farm groups argue there is no final environment impact assessment study.

• Monday, January 13th 2014 - 11:29 UTC

  Canadian group Cooke Aquaculture has set its eyes on (Pescanova) Pesca Chile

  

  The process of selling Pesca Chile continues, despite Pescanova's attempts to slow down the liquidation of the company and its Chilean subsidiaries until the situation of the Galician multinational in Spain is resolved.

• Monday, January 13th 2014 - 07:35 UTC

  A frustrated Mujica calls for a readjustment of Mercosur legal framework

  

  Uruguayan president José Mujica said that members of Mercosur must readjust the block's legal framework ‘to make it work’ so that differences among its partners can be resolved in an institutional framework. He insisted on a review and amendment of mechanisms with greater flexibility and more adapted to current circumstances.

• Monday, January 13th 2014 - 07:27 UTC

  Nicaragua announces that construction of inter-ocean canal begins this year

  

  President Manuel Ortega said on Saturday that the construction of a massive inter-oceanic canal in Nicaragua that could significantly alter global trade would start at the end of 2014. Ortega gave a Chinese group a concession to manage the future shipping channel for 50 years, with the possibility to renew the contract for another 50.

• Friday, January 10th 2014 - 06:46 UTC

  Falklands oil industry will have its 'Made in USA' dock facility in Stanley harbor

  

  The Falkland Islands budding oil and gas industry advanced a further step this week when the Falklands' Planning and Building Committee gave planning permission to a temporary dock facility (TDF) in Stanley harbor that will provide logistics support to exploration drilling.

• Friday, January 10th 2014 - 06:27 UTC

  Construction of Monsanto plant in north Argentina halted on environmental grounds

  

  A labor appeals court in north-central Argentina ruled that the construction of a Monsanto plant is unconstitutional, halting work on the site. The three judge court ruled 2-1 in favor of the activists who filed a legal appeal against Monsanto’s GMO seed plant on environmental protection grounds in the municipality of Malvinas Argentinas, located in central Cordoba Province.

• Thursday, January 9th 2014 - 06:54 UTC

  Panama Canal expansion discussions stall; Italian company demands an extra 1bn

  

  The Panama Canal Authority, or ACP, said on Wednesday it would be “impossible” to meet the demands of Italian builder Impregilo, which has called on the government agency to make an additional payment of up to 1 billion dollars to cover cost overruns affecting a project to expand the international waterway.

• Wednesday, January 8th 2014 - 05:19 UTC

  Panama Canal and construction companies closer to understanding on over-costs

  

  Panama Canal officials offered Tuesday to share the burden in a 283 million dollars fund to end a spat with a consortium threatening to halt the waterway's expansion over huge cost overruns. The proposal came after two days of intense talks under mediation of a Spanish cabinet minister who flew to Panama City for emergency meetings aimed at preventing a shutdown of the major project.