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Under this plan, Chevron will shut Train 1 in involved in vote-fixing, bribes and other illegal
early October and Train 3 in January 2021 for acts. Meanwhile, Loyoza himself is also facing
inspections and any necessary maintenance. The corruption charges.
super-major said Train 2 remained on track to In Brazil, prosecutors have accused two peo-
restart in early September. ple of obtaining confidential market information
According to two Singapore-based LNG from state-run Petrobras to benefit Denmark’s
traders cited by Reuters, Chevron has informed AP Moller-Maersk, a major player in the global
Gorgon customers that it can supply them from shipping industry. In a statement, judicial offi-
the Wheatstone and North West Shelf LNG cials alleged that Viggo Andersen, a former
plants instead while work on the trains is being Maersk executive who was based in Brazil,
carried out. had taken part in a scheme to bribe a Petrobras
In Central America, meanwhile, Sempra executive through an intermediary. The scheme
Energy may be facing additional hurdles as it caused Petrobras to incur at least $31.7mn in
attempts to obtain an export permit for its pro- losses, the statement said.
posed Energia Costa Azul project in Mexico. In Peru, disagreements between the govern-
According to an August 21 Reuters report that ment and indigenous communities continue to
cited sources familiar with the matter, the Mex- have an impact on oil-producing areas in Loreto
ican government has asked Sempra’s unit in the Province. Lima is moving forward with its inves-
country, IEnova, to commit to another facility tigation of a deadly clash between policemen and
in the Port of Topolobampo before it grants the indigenous protesters at the Bretana oilfield ear-
permit for Energia Costa Azul. lier this month.
Media have been unable to confirm any The probe appears to be making enough
further details, but it is believed that the Ener- progress that the demonstrators are willing to
gia Costa Azul, which would be the first export let PeruPetro, the national oil and gas regulator,
permit of its kind for a private company in Mex- resume shipments through the Northern Oil
ico, could still be issued promptly. Nonetheless, Pipeline (ONP). For its part, PetroTal (Canada),
the report suggests that the path forward is not the operator of Bretana, hopes to resume pro-
entirely straightforward for Sempra. duction before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Argentina’s Energy Secretary
If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping Sergio Lanziani has stepped down from his
the global LNG sector then please click here for post at the request of Production Minister Mat-
NewsBase’s GLNG Monitor. ias Kulfas. Dario Martinez, a legislator from
the hydrocarbon-rich Neuquen Province, has
Latin America: Argentina bond swap offer been named as Lanziani’s replacement. His first
Questions about corruption have come to the task will be to address the harsh impact that the
forefront in Latin America’s oil and gas sector coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on
over the past week. Argentina’s oil and gas industry.
In Mexico, Emilio Lozoya, the former head
of national oil company (NOC) Pemex, has If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping
claimed that three former Mexican presidents the Latin American oil and gas sector then please click
and various lawmakers and aides may have been here for NewsBase’s LatAmOil Monitor.

Week 34 26•August•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P9