Page 6 - LatAmOil Week 38 2022

LatAmOil MEXICO LatAmOil

German president says AMLO

has offered assistance with LNG

FRANK-WALTER Steinmeier, President of the development of this large site.
Germany, said on September 20 that his Mexi- Germany, meanwhile, is keen to find new
can counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suppliers of LNG.
had offered to provide assistance in the realm of Deliveries from Russia, its traditional main
LNG supplies. source of gas, have dwindled considerably in
“The Mexican president offered to step up recent weeks due to the shutdown of the Nord
co-operation on liquid gas,” he told reporters in Stream I pipeline system, even as the volume
Mexico City after a meeting with Lopez Obra- of Russian gas pumped through other pipe-
dor. He was speaking during a state visit to the lines has also fallen. The German government
Mexican capital. has introduced conservation measures, but
Steinmeier did not elaborate as to the nature fears of shortages during the coming winter are
of the assistance the Mexican leader had offered. mounting and domestic electricity prices have
Mexico is not currently a producer of natural risen sharply – not just in Germany but across
gas; indeed, it is a net gas importer and depends Europe. ™
on supplies from third parties, especially the
US. Much of the gas the country consumes
is extracted from fields in the Permian basin
and then delivered to Mexico via cross-border
pipelines.
Several companies, including US-based
Sempra, are hoping to use those pipelines as a
source of feedstock for LNG plants slated for
construction on Mexico’s Pacific coast. For geo-
graphical reasons, though, these facilities are
likely to sell much of their output to buyers in
Asia rather than Europe.
Mexico’s national oil company (NOC)
Pemex has talked about using gas from Lakach,
a field in the southern Gulf of Mexico, to pro-
duce LNG, and this might be an easier location
to originate exports to Europe.
However, it remains to be seen whether Steinmeier (L), shown touring Mexico’s presidential palace with
Pemex can realise its ambition of fast-tracking Lopez Obrador (R) on September 20 (Photo: LopezObrador.org.mx)

COLOMBIA
Ecopetrol asks ANH for 90-day suspension

of two pilot fracking projects in Santander

COLOMBIA’S national oil company (NOC) US company ExxonMobil. However, the drill-
Ecopetrol has asked ANH, the country’s oil ing technique they had hoped to use, hydraulic
and gas regulator, to suspend its contracts for fracturing (fracking), may be outlawed directly
the Kale and Platero unconventional fields for if new legislation proposed by the administra-
90 days in the face of mounting resistance from tion of Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s new leftist
environmental groups. president, comes into effect.
Ecopetrol had been planning to carry out Both ANH and Ecopetrol have confirmed
pilot projects at the two sites, which are located that the NOC submitted a request to this effect
in Santander Province, in collaboration with the on September 16.

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 38 21•September•2022