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San Diego-based Sempra has said that its Mex- multiple phases. Its first phase will be able to turn
ican unit IEnova is close to being granted the out 2.4mn tonnes per year of LNG, and produc-
export permit. In March, the company said it tion capacity may eventually rise to 12mn tpy.
intended to go ahead with the Costa Azul LNG Sempra has already struck non-binding LNG
project despite coronavirus (COVID-19) con- supply agreements with Total (France), Mitsui
cerns, and added that it might be able to make its & Co. (Japan) and Tokyo Gas Co. (Japan), each
first LNG deliveries in 2023. Even so, it was not of which has signed a 20-year agreement to
able to make a final investment decision (FID) buy around 800,000 tpy of LNG from Energía
on the scheme in the first quarter of this year, as Costa Azul LNG. These three agreements will
previously scheduled. allow Sempra to export 100% of output from the
IEnova’s gas export facility will be built in plant’s first phase. ™

PERU
PetroTal hopes to bring Bretaña oilfield

back on stream this month

CANADA’S PetroTal is hoping to resume oil positive but did not elaborate.
production at the Bretaña field in Peru before The protests are part of a wider effort by
the end of August. Peruvian indigenous groups to secure more
The company said last week that it was in support and assistance from the government.
a better position to resume activity at the field The demonstrators are reported to be members
now that protesters have permitted PeruPetro, of the Kukama group, one of many indigenous Oil from previous spills has hit Brazil’s coast (Photo: Petrobras)
the national oil and gas regulator, to bring the communities that have criticised Lima for fail-
Northern Oil Pipeline (ONP) back on stream. ing to ensure the delivery of basic services and
Demonstrators took control of Pump Station for failing to mitigate the environmental damage
No. 5, a facility near Bretaña owned by Peru- their homelands have incurred as a result of oil
Petro, at Saramiriza earlier this month. and gas development.
This incident led PetroTal to ask Peru’s This is not the first time that PetroTal has
National Police to provide extra security at had to take Bretaña offline this year. The field
Bretaña. But conditions deteriorated on the was producing around 11,500 barrels per day
night of August 8/9, when protesters entered a (bpd) of oil as of the start of 2020, but operations
work camp near the field and then clashed with were affected by the advent of the coronavirus
police. That incident led to the death of three (COVID-19) pandemic.
demonstrators, as well as injuries on both sides. The outbreak led PeruPetro to suspend oil
It also caused PetroTal to halt production at flows through ONP in early May, and the Cana-
Bretaña on August 10. dian company suspended production at Bretaña
Peruvian authorities have launched an soon afterwards.
investigation of the incident, and PetroTal said It then began test production in mid-July,
last week that the probe was making progress. with the aim of resuming commercial oper-
It also reported that talks between the Peruvian ations in August, but it suffered a setback as a
government and the demonstrators had been result of the protests. ™

Bretaña is not far from Pump Station No. 5 in Loreto State (Image: PeruPetro)

Week 34 27•August•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P13