Page 8 - LatAmOil Week 40 2022
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LatAmOil                                        SURINAME                                            LatAmOil

































                           The deepwater auctions will cover acreage in the north-eastern section of the offshore zone (Image: Staatsolie)

                         However, they did indicate that the sites   the second shallow-water acreage. The latter is
                         included in the auctions were all located on the   expected to include blocks that cover a total area
                         Demerara Plateau, in the north-eastern section   of 32,370 square km.
                         of Suriname’s offshore zone. These sites cover a   Jagesar did not say how many blocks would
                         total area of 43,000 square km and lie beneath   be included in either licensing round. How-
                         waters ranging from 500 to 3,000 metres deep,   ever, he did indicate that the sites would be sold
                         they said, without revealing any specific identi-  through competitive bidding processes.
                         fying information.                     Suriname’s most recent bidding contest was
                           Four exploration wells have been drilled   the Shallow Offshore (SHO) bidding round,
                         within the plateau to date – ANA-1A, ARA-1,   which began in late 2020. As a result of those
                         Demerara A2-1 and GVN-1. However, none of   auctions, which covered eight licence areas,
                         these wells contained commercial hydrocarbon   Staatsolie signed contracts with Chevron (US)
                         reserves.                            for Block 5 in December 2021 and for Block 7
                           Staatsolie announced plans to stage two addi-  in April 2022. Chevron brought Shell (UK) on
                         tional offshore licensing rounds by the middle   board as a partner for the Block 5 project in Feb-
                         of next year in June 2022. Annand Jagesar, the   ruary 2021.
                         NOC’s managing director, said the first round   To date, Suriname has only licensed 40% of
                         of auctions would cover deepwater acreage and   its offshore acreage. ™




                                                        BOLIVIA
       AETN says Bolivia will reserve more gas for



       export and use renewables for local power






                         BOLIVIA will make more natural gas available   electricity production. But by 2025, he said, La
                         for export by increasing the use of renewable   Paz wants 75% of all power output to come from
                         energy sources for power generation, accord-  renewable sources.
                         ing to the head of Autoridad de Fiscalización de   Aruquipa did not say exactly how the govern-
                         Electricidad y Tecnología Nuclear (AETN), the   ment intended to accomplish this shift. Bloomb-
                         country’s energy regulator.          erg noted, though, that Bolivian President Luis
                           Eusebio Aruquipa, the executive director   Arce issued a decree in September restricting the
                         of AETN, told Bloomberg in an interview last   volumes of gas that could be made available to
                         week that natural gas-fired thermal power plants   local manufacturers that use the fuel to generate
                         (TPPs) currently generate about 70% of Bolivia’s   their own power.



       P8                                       www. NEWSBASE .com                        Week 40   05•October•2022
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