Argentina watch: Oil transport bottleneck, Ieasa bill, Tecpetrol wind project

Argentine hydrocarbons province Neuquén’s energy minister, Alejandro Monteiro, has urged the federal government to negotiate an extension of oil transport company Oldelval’s concession agreement, media outlet Más Energía reported.

This would give the firm visibility to make necessary investments, it said, adding that midstream oil infrastructure in the Neuquén basin was at capacity amid production growth.

Oldelval contracts are due to expire in 2025.

The company recently announced plans to boost oil pumping capacity. But further investment would still be needed, Más Energía said, citing provincial sources.

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Argentina’s government submitted a bill that modifies the remit of state energy firm Ieasa.

The draft legislation renames the company Enarsa – as it was originally known when founded in 2004 – and authorizes it to provide gas transport and distribution services, among other changes.

“As such, the company can process, buy, sell, trade, import or export natural gas,” the bill states.

Enarsa is also authorized to resume upstream oil and gas activities, state news agency Telám said.

The bill comes shortly after the government said it would launch a tender for new gas transport work, including construction of a major duct that would ease a production dispatch bottleneck at the Vaca Muerta shale play.  

Under the bill, Ieasa is also authorized to manufacture renewable energy equipment and participate in any part of the value chain, including the sale of electricity. The company is also permitted to enter the green hydrogen and blue hydrogen markets.

Current roles include importing natural gas from Bolivia and LNG, building the Néstor Kirchner-Jorge Cepernic hydroelectric project and exporting electric power. 

The bill is due to be debated by a congressional committee. 

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Upstream player Tecpetrol announced the purchase of wind farm developer Parques Eólicos de la Buena Ventura (PEBV), a unit of Germany’s ABO Wind.

PEBV has the 105MW Parque Eólico de la Buena Ventura project in the development phase in Buenos Aires province, a regulatory filing said. 

The project was granted dispatch priority for 101MW of capacity under term market Mater.

Last year ABO Wind offloaded two shovel-ready solar projects of around 10MW each. 

Tecpetrol has been investing heavily in the Vaca Muerta shale play.

Neither Tecpetrol nor ABO Wind immediately replied to a request for further information from BNamericas.