Bolivia will be collecting some US$ 120 million yearly for allowing Argentine gas from Vaca Muerta through to Brazil, Economy Minister Marcelo Montenegro explained Wednesday during a press conference in which he highlighted the importance of Tuesday's agreement to bringing fresh foreign currency into the country's coffers in addition to its strategic nature in a regional context riddled with energy challenges.
Bolivia's State-run Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) agreed to allow Argentina to pump gas to Brazil through the existing pipeline, company President Armin Dorgathen announced Tuesday during the International Forum on Hydrocarbons, Fertilizers, Renewable and Alternative Energies in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. We will promote the efficient flow of gas between Argentina and Brazil, taking advantage of existing infrastructure and strengthening regional cooperation, he said.
The Chilean port of Arica saw 236,000 barrels of fuel unloaded for Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) while the city prepares for two days with no on-site classes as the local drinking water has been deemed unfit for human consumption given its hydrocarbon odor.
Bolivia's oil company YPFB announced Sunday that with the arrival of at least 50,000 cubic meters of diesel from Brazil and Paraguay this week, the fuel shortage would be solved for the time being to meet domestic demand. The State-run organization explained that the supply problems stemmed from bad weather at the Chilean port of Arica, which prevented the unloading of fuel from four ships.
Bolivian authorities have reported that the state-run oil company Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) had discovered a new gas field in the Okinawa area after recent studies in the Remanso-X1 (RMS-X1) well. The new reservoir will generate approximately US$ 5 billion in gas, it was explained. It will also contribute to savings in fuel purchases of US$1 billion, according to YPFB.
The Bolivian government has rejected predictions that the country will cease to be an exporter of natural gas and become a net importer by 2030. The government has said it has plans to invest some US$ 325 million in exploration and extraction in new wells by the country's hydrocarbons company, YPFB, Yacimientos Petroliferos Federales de Bolivia.
Bolivia's state-run oil company YPFB will import 2.5 million liters of diesel fuel from Chile to reverse the current shortage, it was announced.
Bolivia is diverting natural gas to Argentina, and unexpectedly has reduced the supply to Petrobras by 30% this month, catching the state-owned company off guard. As a result, Petrobras experienced a loss of more or less than 7 million cubic meters of gas per day. YPFB, the Bolivian state company, had been supplying Petrobras with approximately 20 million cubic meters per day.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro complained that Bolivia's state-owned oil company Yacimientos Petróliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) funneled 30% of the gas that was to be sold to Brazil and sent it to Argentina as a part of an “orchestrated plan” against him and added Petrobras was behind it.
Bolivia's Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) and Integración Energética Argentina Sociedad Anónima (IEASA) agreed to postpone the decision on a sixth addendum to the contract for the supply of natural gas for yet another month, according to a YPFB statement relesed Friday. Negotiations had been previously extended for two months, which ended on March 31.