
British Petroleum is negotiating opportunities to buy stakes in oil fields in Brazil to accelerate production increases, the head of the company's Brazil division said on Wednesday.

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced on Tuesday that YPF energy company had made a large shale oil discovery in Neuquén province, a find that she considered to be of extreme importance, since “it will allow for us to maintain and further promote development” throughout the country.

Spain’s oil company Repsol plans to sell up to 3% of YPF on the Argentine market as part of a gradual divestment of its stake in that unit, according to company sources.

Rockhopper Exploration has spudded the next appraisal well on the Sea Lion oil discovery in the Falkland Islands’ waters. Drilling began on the 14/10-5 appraisal well on May first 2011.

Petrobras announced the increased investment plans for the emerging Santos basin pre-salt assets, earmarking 73 billion US dollars for the 2011-2015 period. The vast sum is a 63% increase compared with the company’s 2010-2014 plan said a company statement.

In the coming three years hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation in the extreme south of Chile will receive investment equivalent to over 400 million US dollars making Punta Arenas a hub for the regional oil industry.

Falkland Islands Desire Petroleum reported Monday that it had completed the drilling of its Ninky prospect (2.620 metres) which showed the reservoir quality “is generally poor” and therefore the well will be plugged and abandoned, according to an official report released Monday.

Norway’s biggest oil and gas producer Statoil ASA, said the “significant” oil discovery made adjacent to the Peregrino field in the Campos basin off Brazil may warrant a separate installation to speed up development.

Oil prices are likely to remain high for the foreseeable future and IMF economists say that governments should be looking to back sustainable alternative sources of energy.

Venezuela will send Argentina 12 million barrels of diesel and fuel oil starting in May, an official from Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA said.