News of energy

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.

Still no answers

Macri official insists: 'No chance of repeat blackout'

18-06-2019 14:07 Parts of Uruguay, all provinces in Argentina expect Tierra del Fuego and parts of Brazil were affected by Sunday's blackout.

Nationwide power outage

Macri gov't officials left scratching heads after historic blackout

17-06-2019 09:42 Energy Secretary Gusavo Lopetegui: 'We still have no information about what happened'.

BOLSONARO IN ARGENTINA

Bolsonaro and Macri boost ties as election looms

08-06-2019 10:56 Outspoken Brazilian leader pays first visit to Argentina, with EU-Mercosur deal and common currency on the agenda.

ENVIRONMENT

Chile to close eight coal-fired power stations amid renewables push

04-06-2019 22:54 Chile, a net importer of energy, has relied increasingly on coal-powered electricity generation over the last decade, driven largely by the end of imports of natural gas from Argentina.

PERMITS AWARDED

Government awards 18 permits for gas and oil exploration off southern coast

22-05-2019 16:32 The permits, announced by the Economy Ministry, centre on three regions on Argentina's continental shelf and run up to 13 years. Companies commit investment totalling US$724 million.

KEY STORIES

What We Learned This Week: July 30-Aug 5

04-08-2018 10:27 Notebooks made for the biggest news, but energy hikes and a tragic gas explosion also drew headlines.

AS IMF DEAL APPROACHES

Congress moves closer to freezing utility price hikes

10-05-2018 09:04 Onlookers generally agree that the IMF will demand strong austerity measures from the government if Argentina hopes to secure financing.

Rogelio Frigerio

Frigerio: 'Provinces should assume costs of utility bill payment mechanism'

23-04-2018 13:16 The government last week agreed to implement a payment plan for gas consumers, allowing them to postpone their bill payments during the cold winter months when consumption skyrockets. Consumer gas prices rose 30-40 percent in April.

ECONOMIC QUESTIONS

Utility or futility?

21-04-2018 18:36 Macri and the old trick of being government and opposition at the same time

by Michael Soltys

FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEARING

Confirmed: Consumer gas prices to jump 30-40% from April

28-03-2018 10:28 The decision to further reduce subsidies on household gas consumption is expected to push the cost of living in Argentina up by 8.5 percent.

ENERGY AND ARGENTINA

Renewable energy begins to kick in, though targets remain out of reach

24-03-2018 07:51 Argentina is lagging behind its regional neighbours when it comes to green energy and the push to exploit the Vaca Muerta region complicates the sector’s future. But industry experts are optimistic and say the government’s approach is beginning to bear fruit.

by Fermin Koop

MOTORS OF ‘INVISIBLE GROWTH’

The sectors behind Macri’s economic hopes

10-03-2018 08:34 Lithium, renewable energy, low-cost tourism and the Vaca Muerta shale gas deposit could eventually account for nine percent of GDP, but with an uneven effect on employment.

by Juan Pablo Álvarez

Doubling last winter's prices

Consumer gas prices to jump around 50% from April

23-02-2018 09:55 Juan José Aranguren's Energy Ministry claims energy prices for consumers will start to drop in 2019.