“You build history the way you can, not the way you want”, said Argentine president Cristina Fernandez during an official ceremony in which she referred to the “recovery” of the country’s main oil and gas corporation YPF, in the midst of the dispute with Spain’s Repsol.
Argentina will seize natural-gas producer YPF Gas SA as part of plans to boost control of its natural resources and increase production, two days after seizing oil producer YPF SA.
The US government finally broke silence regarding the YPF controversy and expressed “deep concern’ over the expropriation plans. A State Department spokesman said on Wednesday the plans “could have an adverse effect on the Argentine economy.”
China's state-owned Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) spokesman Huang Wensheng came on stage to play down rumours indicating that Argentina's move to nationalize local oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, has spoiled years of planning by Sinopec to buy the energy giant.
We don't comment on market rumours, Wensheng said.
European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani addressed Argentina's plan to expropriate 51% of the 57.43% share-package Spanish ran Oil Company Repsol owns, during a speech at the European Parliament on Wednesday. From Rome Italy also voiced its concern with events regarding YPF and trade restrictions.
Shares of Argentina’s biggest energy company Repsol-YPF plunged 32.7% on Wednesday in Wall Street after transactions resumed following three days of suspension.
Brazil’s Mines and Energy minister Edison Lobao discarded that operations of Petrobras in Argentina could be affected by the decision from the administration of President Cristina Fernandez to expropriate YPF from Spain’s Repsol.
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica expressed solidarity with the Argentine government decision to nationalize the oil company YPF belonging to Spain’s Repsol and said he does not like the “arrogance of rich Europe”. His position however was strongly criticized by the opposition.
Repsol’s Chairman Antonio Brufau said the Spain-based group will demand to Argentina a compensation of 10 billion dollars after President Cristina Fernández decided to nationalize the energy giant. Likewise, Brufau accused the Argentine government of “having distorted information” on regards the company’s production during Monday’s presentation.
Argentina accused Spain's Repsol oil company on Tuesday of hiding the true value of its Argentine YPF unit and said a thorough review of its books after seizing control of its offices will affect the compensation paid to its shareholders.