Bolivia’s natural gas reserves depleted due to lack of exploration

Bolivia is facing depletion of its natural gas reserves, the country's main source of revenue, due to a lack of investment in exploration for new reserves. The Chairman of state-owned oil company YPFB announces a $669 million investment to boost production.

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90$/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90$/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 $/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99$/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 $/year from the second year.

Bolivia has run out of natural gas reserves, its main source of income, due to a lack of investment in exploring new reserves, the president of state oil company YPFB said on Wednesday.

Bolivia’s natural gas in decline: $669 million investment to boost production

Since 2014, the country has seen a drop in production, Armin Dorgathen told reporters in the eastern city of Santa Cruz.

“There haven’t been enough exploration projects,” he lamented, announcing that some $669 million would be invested in exploration this year.

According to Dorgathen, Bolivia’s natural gas reserves amount to 8.95 trillion cubic meters. Production has fallen from 59 million cubic meters per day in 2014 to 37 today. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that emits CO2 when burned, but less than oil and coal. On Tuesday, President Luis Arce also warned that production would decline until it “hit rock bottom”.

“Gas reserves have not been replenished, so the country does not have the capacity to produce more,” he lamented.

In addition to supplying the domestic market, Bolivia also sells gas to Argentina and Brazil. According to the Independent Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade, natural gas sales brought in some $2.97 billion in 2022, more than the country’s mining and agricultural sectors.

Under the presidency of Evo Morales (2006-2019), Bolivia nationalized its natural gas reserves, which had previously been in the hands of Spanish, British, Brazilian and Argentine companies. At the time, he assured us that Bolivia was in a position to supply the entire region, as it was sitting on “a sea” of gas.

Liquefied natural gas exports in sub-Saharan Africa will reach 98 bcm by 2034, driven by Nigeria, Mozambique, and the entry of new regional producers.
Backed by an ambitious public investment plan, Angola is betting on gas to offset declining oil output, but the Angola LNG plant in Soyo continues to face operational constraints.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb denounced fossil fuel imports from Russia by Hungary and Slovakia as the EU prepares its 19th sanctions package against Moscow.
Japanese giant JERA has signed a letter of intent to purchase one million tonnes of LNG per year from Alaska, as part of a strategic energy agreement with the United States.
US-based Chevron has submitted a bid with HelleniQ Energy to explore four offshore blocks south of Crete, marking a new strategic step in gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
GTT has been selected by Samsung Heavy Industries to design cryogenic tanks for a floating natural gas liquefaction unit, scheduled for deployment at an offshore site in Africa.
A consortium led by BlackRock is in talks to raise up to $10.3 billion to finance a gas infrastructure deal with Aramco, including a dual-tranche loan structure and potential sukuk issuance.
TotalEnergies commits to Train 4 of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, consolidating its position in liquefied natural gas with a 10% direct stake and a 1.5 Mtpa offtake agreement.
US producer EQT has secured a twenty-year liquefied natural gas supply contract with Commonwealth LNG, tied to a Gulf Coast terminal under development.
The Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies said that NextDecade would formalise on Tuesday a final investment decision for a new liquefaction unit under the Rio Grande LNG project in the United States.
Monkey Island LNG has awarded McDermott the design of a gas terminal with a potential capacity of 26 MTPA, using a modular format to increase on-site output density and reduce execution risks.
ADNOC Gas will join the FTSE Emerging Index on September 22, potentially unlocking up to $250mn in liquidity, according to market projections.
Norwegian company BlueNord has revised downward its production forecasts for the Tyra gas field for the third quarter, following unplanned outages and more impactful maintenance than anticipated.
Monkey Island LNG adopts ConocoPhillips' Optimized Cascade® process for its 26 MTPA terminal in Louisiana, establishing a technology partnership focused on operational efficiency and competitive gas export pricing.
NextDecade has signed a liquefied natural gas supply agreement with EQT for 1.5 million tonnes annually from Rio Grande LNG Train 5, pending a final investment decision.
Sawgrass LNG & Power has renewed its liquefied natural gas supply agreement with state-owned BNECL, consolidating a commercial cooperation that began in 2016.
Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation have signed a binding memorandum to build the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, set to deliver 50 bcm of Russian gas per year to China via Mongolia.
Permex Petroleum signed a $3 million purchase option on oil and gas assets in Texas to support a strategy combining energy production and Bitcoin mining.
Enbridge announces the implementation of two major natural gas transmission projects aimed at strengthening regional supply and supporting the LNG market.
Commonwealth LNG’s Louisiana liquefied natural gas project clears a decisive regulatory step with final approval from the U.S. Department of Energy for exports to non-free trade agreement countries.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.