Argentina's Petersen Group missed a 400 million dollars payment to creditor banks on Wednesday, which could allow them to seize the shares of oil company YPF backing the loan.
Argentine provinces are falling back in paying salaries and honouring debts as they face a shortage of cash and almost record rates for issuing bonds in money markets, reports Buenos Aires financial press.
Argentine state-controlled energy company YPF said it risks having its American Depositary Shares (ADS) de-listed by the New York Stock Exchange since it is not complying with all regulatory requirements.
Repsol YPF SA the large Spanish oil and gas company on Tuesday sued Argentina for seizing control of formerly state-owned energy company YPF SA, in which Repsol held a majority stake.
Argentina's seizure of 51% of the shares of Spanish oil group Repsol's YPF unit could scare away international firms from investing in the, the International Energy Agency said on Friday.
Argentine Vice President Amado Boudou on Tuesday urged US companies to invest in YPF, the nationalized oil company that Argentina recently expropriated from Spain's Repsol.
Spain-based energy group Repsol has sent letters to oil majors including Exxon-Mobil, Chevron and Conoco-Phillips warning it would sue them if they try to invest in YPF or its assets, reports the British newspaper The Financial Times.
The Argentine decision to seize control of 51% of YPF oil and gas giant came into effect on Monday as a decree was published on the Official Gazette. From Spain a new barrage of criticisms in support of Repsol and condemning Argentina started the week.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández enacted the YPF nationalization law, which was approved by the Lower House on Thursday. During a nation-wide televised speech from Government House, the Head of State also introduced the company’s new CEO, oil engineer Miguel Galuccio.
A drilling engineer with a long experience in the oil and gas industry Miguel Galuccio, 44, will be taking over as of next Monday as manager of the nationalized YPF corporation, announced on Friday Argentine President Cristina Fernandez.