Ramirez: Gas exports to start in 2008

Venezuela plans to export natural gas to the US from 2008, as part of its goal of improving its image as a reliable energy provider, local newspapers quoted energy and mines minister Rafael Ramirez as saying during a gas conference in Washington DC on Thursday. "Venezuela has an important role to play as energy supplier to the US," Ramirez said. "We are now reliable suppliers of oil and its products and we will keep being so, now as suppliers of gas." Venezuela already has investors - including US-based ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips - lined up and political support for LNG exports. State oil company PDVSA will increase its current gas production of 7 billion cubic feet a day by 60% to export gas to the US, PDVSA director Luis Vierma was quoted as saying. Most of the gas for export will come from the Deltana platform and Mariscal Sucre gas projects. ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips are partnering in block 2 of the Deltana platform, and the former has also submitted the only bid on block 3. Meanwhile PDVSA expects to sign a joint venture agreement with Anglo-Dutch company Shell and Japan's Mitusbishi for the Mariscal Sucre project by February.