Panama, U.S. to Sign Pact to Expand Regional Access to LNG
Panama on Friday will sign an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and Energy departments aimed at paving the way for more private investment to expand the importation and distribution of U.S. liquefied natural gas in Latin America.David Malpass, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, said he hopes the "framework agreement" is the first of several with countries in the region to encourage investment to increase access to cheaper…
Total: Brazil Drilling No Risk to Amazon Reef
A French oil firm on Thursday rejected concerns that exploration off Brazil could damage a unique coral reef at the mouth of the Amazon river as it awaits final approval to start drilling. "Drilling activity will not impact the reef system," a spokeswoman for Total told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The company is working closely with Brazil's environmental enforcement agency (IBAMA) and needs their go ahead before it begins to drill, she said in an email.
Cano Pipeline, Occidental Oilfield Restart After Attacks
Occidental Petroleum Corp has restarted crude production at Colombia's Cano Limon oilfield and its pipeline is pumping again after a series of rebel attacks shut output and transport for several weeks, the military said on Monday. The 485-mile (780-km) Cano Limon pipeline, which has the capacity to transport up to 210,000 barrels of crude daily (bpd) from the field in Arauca province to the Caribbean coast, was shut down on Nov.
Gas Natural Seeks Colombia's Help to Chase Unpaid Bills
Spanish energy company Gas Natural has asked for talks with the Colombian government on a new legal framework to allow it to recover 1.3 billion euros ($1.44 billion) in unpaid bills owed to its Colombian electricity business. Electricaribe distributes power to 2.5 million customers on Colombia's Caribbean coast but has suffered persistent liquidity problems because of fraud and payment arrears, Gas Natural said on Wednesday.
Cano Limon Pipeline Attacked, Halted for Repairs
Colombia's Cano Limon pipeline has been halted for repairs, a source at state-run Ecopetrol said on Wednesday, but production in the Cano Limon and Caricare oil fields is normal. Ecopetrol operates the 780 km (485 mile) pipeline, which has the capacity to transport 220,000 barrels of crude per day from the northeastern province of Arauca to the Caribbean coast, on behalf of U.S.-based Occidental Petroleum Corp.
Colombia's No. 2 Oil Pipeline Shut After Rebel Bombings
Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline, the country's second biggest by volume, has been shut due to damage from bomb attacks by leftist FARC rebels that caused a significant spill that has contaminated a nearby river, the army said on Wednesday. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels, known as FARC, have intensified attacks on infrastructure in the past few weeks after calling off a unilateral ceasefire.
Ecopetrol to Drill 3 Wells After Cutting Budget
Colombia's state-run oil producer Ecopetrol will drill three offshore wells this year, two off its Caribbean Coast and a third in the Gulf of Mexico, after slashing its offshore exploration budget to $200 million down from $632 million last year, the company said. The two Caribbean wells, Calasu and Kronos, will be operated by Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp which has an equal sized stake in the projects with Ecopetrol. The U.S. well, Sea Eagle, will be drilled by partner Murphy Oil Corp.
Colombia Pipeline Shutdown Cuts Oil Output 7%
The month-long closure of a key Colombian oil pipeline following a bomb attack has cut the Andean nation's daily crude output by about 72,000 barrels, or about 7 percent, according to data from state-run oil company Ecopetrol, which owns the duct. The Cano Limon pipeline, which carries crude from an oil field of the same name to the Caribbean coast, was shut down on March 25 by a bomb attack blamed on leftist rebels, prompting Ecopetrol to declare force majeure on 25 delivery contracts.
Ecospeed to Coat EXMAR Caribbean FLNG
In order to tap into Colombian stranded gas reserves, Pacific Rubiales Energy Corporation and EXMAR nv have partnered in a project to build and operate a floating LNG liquefaction, and storage unit, the Caribbean FLNG, which will be stationed at a jetty several kilometers off the Caribbean coast of Colombia for at least 15 years. In order to protect the hull of the Caribbean FLNG, keep it clean and facilitate…
