Page 13 - LatAmOil Week 36 2021
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LatAmOil ARGENTINA LatAmOil
The proposed legislation, which is designed – as a means of generating revenue and elimi-
to help attract investment for the production nating domestic energy shortages. However, he
of both conventional and unconventional also faces obstacles, as bond defaults have iso-
hydrocarbons, has not yet been presented to lated the country from global financial markets
Parliament. It was drawn up at the behest of for years.
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez. Vaca Muerta, one of the largest shale forma-
Since taking office in December 2019, Fer- tions in the world, is located mostly in Neuquen
nandez has been trying to boost interest in the Province. It is around the size of Belgium and
sector, despite the country’s economic stagna- contains around 308 trillion cubic feet (8.722
tion and soaring inflation. Like his predeces- trillion cubic metres) of shale gas, according
sors, he sees oil and gas – and particularly the to the US Energy Information Administration
vast reserves of the Vaca Muerta shale formation (EIA).
CHILE
GNL Quintero and partners moving
ahead with green hydrogen project
THE backers of a green hydrogen project in The facility will consist of a hydrolysis plant
Chile are said to have already arranged to sell powered by 10 MW of Acciona Energía’s wind
more than half of their initial production. and solar generating capacity in Chile. It will
According to a report from Argus Media, receive electricity via Chile’s national trans-
GNL Quintero, the operator of Chile’s Quintero mission grid, Argus Media reported, citing an
LNG terminal, and its Spanish partners Enagas environmental application that the partners
and Acciona Energía have signed preliminary submitted last month. The partners are now
off-take agreements with several customers. waiting for the government to grant environ-
These agreements cover 70% of the hydrogen mental authorisation for the project.
that the plant will produce in its first stage of The first buyers of the green hydrogen are
operation, said an executive close to the project. likely to be companies operating in the nearby
The source did not name any of the buyers, Quintero-Puchuncaví industrial zone. The zone
citing corporate confidentiality considerations. is home to the 104,000 barrel per day (bpd)
GNL Quintero, Enagas and Acciona Energía Aconacagua refinery owned by Chile’s national
unveiled plans to build a green hydrogen pro- oil company (NOC) ENAP, as well as a copper
duction facility at the Quintero LNG terminal smelter owned by Chile’s national copper-min-
last month. They have said they intend to spend ing concern Codelco, a coal-fired thermal power
about $30mn on the plant, which will turn out plant (TPP) owned by a subsidiary of US-based
an initial 430 tonnes per year of green hydrogen, AES, and other industrial facilities.
rising later to 640 tpy. Production is due to begin Enagas and GNL Quintero are already
in late 2024 or early 2025 and will be loaded onto closely affiliated. The Spanish company has a
tanker trucks for delivery to local consumers. 45.4% stake in the LNG terminal operator.
The green hydrogen plant will be built at the Quintero terminal (Photo: McDermott International)
Week 36 09•September•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13
