News of energy

Oil giant Petrobras sheds US$19 billion in value over two days

22-02-2021 20:45 A sell-off in Brazil’s state-controlled oil firm Petrobras picked up on Monday after a group of analysts downgraded the stock within 24 hours, following Jair Bolsonaro's decision to replace the company’s chief executive officer.

BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS

Bolsonaro calls for more changes after general goes to Petrobras

21-02-2021 08:25 Brazil leader says that more changes are underway after naming a former general to head Petrobras. Experts say Bolsonaro has chosen "economic populism."

BLOOMBERG

World's first wind tax leaves green developers scratching heads

25-01-2021 07:23 Puerto Madryn wants to tax the megawatts of energy sold by wind farms, drawning scorn from clean-energy companies, who say the move threatens climate-change goals.

MALVINAS ISLANDS

Filmus renews Malvinas claim with eye trained on Brexit fallout

09-01-2021 09:10 Government official says sovereignty claim over disputed islands is once again “state policy” under President Alberto Fernández

Bloomberg

YPF to sell flagship office tower to keep shale dream alive

07-01-2021 15:52 YPF SA plans to sell its iconic office tower in Puerto Madero, which could bring in some US$400 million.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Dozens of nations miss deadline to boost climate ambition

05-01-2021 11:09 More than half the world's nations failed to submit upgraded commitments by year's end to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, straggling behind the schedule of accelerated climate ambitions set out in the Paris Agreement.

BLOOMBERG

China’s state grid makes a US$3-billion push into Latin America

13-11-2020 13:53 State Grid Corp of China will pay 2.57 billion euros for an electricity network company in Chile, its first overseas deal in almost a year and a move that resumes its expansion abroad.

BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS

Rout in billionaire family's bonds shows no-one trusts Argentina

25-09-2020 11:55 For all of Argentina’s assurances that a round of capital controls announced last week are only temporary, investors are making the opposite bet – and the evidence is there for all to see.

OFFICIAL IN, OFFICIAL OUT

Neuquén lawmaker Darío Martínez appointed new energy secretary

24-08-2020 09:29 Sergio Lanziani relived of position as energy secretary after just eight months in office.

STATE OIL FIRM

YPF posts US$1.1 billion loss for second quarter

11-08-2020 22:11 State oil company confirms losses totalling 85 billion pesos (US$ 1.105 billion) in the second quarter of the year.

BLOOMBERG

Moon-shot bets on junk power bond in Argentina bring a windfall

22-07-2020 11:57 Amid a minefield of underperforming and already defaulted debt, notes from power producer MSU Energy are outshining all others.

BLOOMBERG

YPF shifts focus to strengthening finances as debt payments loom

13-05-2020 14:52 State oil and gas company's new CEO tells investors that company will go "back to basics" and cut costs to combat the current crisis.

ENVIRONMENT

Argentina halts renewables rollout amid coronavirus

09-05-2020 10:19 Since 2016, when the RenovAR renewable energy auctions started, 131 renewable energy parks, mostly wind power, have entered into commercial operation.

by Fermin Koop

Bloomberg

The crazy dream of US$45 oil could become reality in Argentina

07-05-2020 13:12 Brent crude has been practically soaring, touching US$30 in London. But it can’t match the 'criollo' barrel in Argentina, though - US$45 guaranteed, no matter what. That dream price doesn’t actually exist, but it could soon.

Bloomberg

Shale driller Vista Oil & Gas cuts executive salaries amid hopes of rebound

01-05-2020 12:53 Vista Oil & Gas, a model of the independent drillers in Argentina's burgeoning shale fields, has cut compensation for senior management by 40 percent while trying to overcome the oil crisis.

Bloomberg

Coronavirus is starting to slow the solar energy revolution

27-02-2020 15:03 The coronavirus outbreak is threatening to slow the global solar-energy revolution as it cuts the supply of key equipment for solar and wind farms in China and beyond.

FOSSIL FUEL

Air pollution global cost estimated at US$2.9 trillion a year

12-02-2020 12:25 Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s report shows that air pollution caused by fossil fuels cost US$8 billion a day, or roughly 3.3% of the entire world's economic output.

VACA MUERTA

Shell & Equinor partner up to buy Vaca Muerta shale block

31-01-2020 13:44 Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Equinor ASA oil firms jointly buy a 49 percent stake in the Bandurria Sur field. Agreement comes at a critical time for Argentina's nascent shale industry.

Bloomberg

Clean energy boom threatened by Argentina’s free-market fizzle

28-01-2020 12:50 Macri-era investment into clean energy along Argentina's Atlantic coast will be difficult to sustain in current economic climate, writes Jonathan Gilbert.

ENERGY

New legislation for Vaca Muerta on way, Nielsen confirms

25-01-2020 09:49 YPF chairman floats idea of gas pipeline to Brazil, as he appeals for investment in Argentina’s giant formation at World Economic Forum. Unions, business leaders agree to halt 1,800 lay-offs.

BLOOMBERG - OPINION

Latin America’s trash brims with hidden cash

24-01-2020 13:42 "Where there’s waste, there’s also opportunity. Latin Americans, belatedly, seem to be catching on," writes Marc Margolis.

by Mac Margolis

PETROL PRICES

Uncertainty after Fernández orders YPF to halt rise in petrol prices

03-01-2020 07:00 President’s decision to order the YPF state oil company to halt a five percent increase in petrol prices creates uncertainty among producers and suppliers.

Bloomberg

China consortium close to buying Argentine power unit

11-12-2019 10:29 Led by China Huadian Corp, consortium now close to acquiring a controlling stake in Stoneway Group LP, Bloomberg reports.

COP 25 climate summit

Macri: 'Electricity production will be be greenhouse gas free by 2040'

03-12-2019 14:21 President kicks off his last foreign trip as head of state in Madrid at the UN Climate Change Conference, where he meets with world leaders and talks renewable energy.

JUJUY PROVINCE

At least 5 killed in fire at La Esperanza sugar refinery

21-11-2019 19:04 Provincial authorities in Jujuy declare two days of mourning after fatalities. Five other people were treated for severe burns.

ENERGY

Vaca Muerta waits for Alberto’s calling

16-11-2019 10:00 Vaca Muerta is no longer a dream, but by no means is it the only solution to Argentina’s chronic economic problems.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

FUEL PRICES

Government's fuel prize freeze ends with 5% hike

14-11-2019 15:42 Formal end of the 90-day fuel price freeze, imposed in wake of Macri's PASO defeat arrives, with prices rising from today by a five percent rise on average.

STATE-RUN ENERGY FIRM

Contenders line up with YPF likely to take on new leadership

09-11-2019 11:35 Current chairman Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez looks set to retire with change of government – here’s five names who could lead the state energy giant under the Alberto Fernández administration.

BLOOMBERG

OPEC predicts market share will shrink in years to come, with shale on rise

05-11-2019 14:26 Producers expect demand for oil to slide by 7% over next four years, amid a flood of US shale supplies.

RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON

Alberto Fernández planning US trip to visit Trump, oil majors

04-11-2019 15:20 Spokespeople for the Frente de Todos leader confirm president-elect intends to visit the US after his assumption on December 10, for a trip that would include a meeting with Donald Trump and a stop in Houston, Texas.

NEW IAEA CHIEF

Iran says it hopes new UN nuclear chief Grossi will act 'neutrally'

31-10-2019 10:04 Just a day after his election, Tehran begins to apply pressure on Rafael Grossi, the veteran Argentine diplomat who has been tasked with leading the International Atomic Energy Agency.

GUEST VOICE

Ciimate change: An unstoppable movement takes hold

19-10-2019 09:17 On the eve of the September UN Climate Action Summit, young women and men around the world mobilised by the millions and told global leaders: “You are failing us.”

by UN Secretary General António Guterres

ENVIROMENT

Patagonia – a reservoir of fossils, oil and wind worth their weight in gold

19-10-2019 09:03 Alongside Vaca Muerta, one of the biggest deposits of unconventional oil and gas in the world, Argentina also houses its “Vaca Muerta of wind” down south, according to experts.

ENVIRONMENT

Environment drops off radar after four years of contradictions

19-10-2019 08:09 Experts say the Macri administration is trying to have it both ways when it comes to environmental policies. And worryingly, the outlook doesn’t look much better under a potential government led by Alberto Fernández.

by Fermin Koop

Economy

How can Argentina achieve sustainable economic growth?

18-10-2019 23:09 Ambassadors from four Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden — gathered with business executives and government officials Friday to discuss how Argentina can achieve the lofty goals set by the United Nations on sustainable development.

BLOOMBERG

Energy companies would likely bear cost of Fernández’s utilities shift

01-10-2019 16:29 Energy companies would likely be made to pay for Alberto Fernández’s move to slow hikes in electricity and natural gas prices.

FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

New dawns and tightropes: The IAEA and Argentina

28-09-2019 04:05 The vastly experienced Rafael Mariano Grossi, 58, Argentina’s ambassador to the IAEA who has held senior disarmament posts since 1997, is backed by the Americas from top to bottom. Respected by China, he also enjoys support from the Commonwealth countries and even some Europeans.

by Michael Soltys

VACA MUERTA

Government tasks Gendarmerie with protecting Vaca Muerta shale formation

17-09-2019 13:36 Security Ministry orders Argentina's border guards to guarantee security of activity at geological formation located in Neuquén basin.

OIL PRICES

Oil prices rocket as drone attack slashes Saudi output by more than half

16-09-2019 11:46 Oil prices saw their biggest daily gain since the 1991 Gulf War on Monday after weekend drone attacks on two Saudi oil facilities halved output in the world's top crude exporter, fuelling fresh geopolitical and growth fears.

UNITED NATIONS

Grossi one of four candidates for top job at UN nuclear watchdog

06-09-2019 12:53 Argentina's ambassador to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency confirms candidacy for director general post, vacant since death of Yukiya Amano. Three others also announce run for top post.

STATE-RUN ENERGY FIRM

YPF pursues US$5-billion LNG project, despite political havoc

05-09-2019 07:00 Argentina’s state-run oil company is pressing on with plans despite financial and political chaos.

PASO FALL-OUT

Utility stocks face gloomy outlook as downgrades mount

14-08-2019 09:55 Outlook for Argentina’s energy companies has worsened after primary election results raise concerns about the return of more intervention in utility prices.

BLOOMBERG

YPF bonds hit record low after Fernández-Fernández PASO win

13-08-2019 09:16 Bonds drop amid fears Peronist victory will lead to re-imposition of regulated energy prices.

Nuclear watchdog

UN nuclear watchdog to have new chief in place by January

01-08-2019 16:50 Rafael Grossi, Argentina's ambassador to the IAEA, has been tipped as one of the most likely candidates for the post along with interim director, Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta.

UN AGENCY

UN nuclear watchdog to start search for new chief

24-07-2019 15:29 Argentina's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, is among the frontrunners to succeed Yukiya Amano, who died last week.

SHALE FORMATION

Vaca Muerta finally produces oil, a century after its discovery

06-07-2019 09:06 Obstacles have long prevented the exploitation of Vaca Muerta, Argentina’s famed shale formation in Neuquén. But now, the dead cow is coming to life.

MASSIVE POWER CUT

Government blames firm's 'faulty reprogramming' for June 16 black-out

04-07-2019 18:27 "The Argentine electrical system is robust, [but] a chain of failures led to collapse," Lopetegui said as he faced questioning over the unprecedented shutdown.

NUCLEAR ENERGY

China eyes Argentina in global nuclear roll-out

22-06-2019 09:14 Costs, emissions and safety at stake as Argentina and China look set to seal a nuclear power deal.

ENERGY

Millions hit by ‘historic’ blackout

22-06-2019 08:23 Argentina is no stranger to blackouts but never on an almost nationwide scale as from 7.07am on Father’s Day last Sunday with power only starting to return as from 1.30pm.