News and AnalysIs for

GasThe president of the Association of Natural Gas (Naturgas) insisted that the supply of natural gas is just fine, and that the “feeling” of scarcity is just due to El Niño.

GasThe graph shows that, despite all the attention focused on natural gas, production continues to fall. Hard for prices to go down (as politicians would like them to) if supply is lower and demand is steady or growing.

While the decrees and studies on how to lower the costs of natural gas in the Caribbean region continue, other regions are now clamoring for a discount in their gas prices as well.

Gas Natural Fenosa country manager for Colombia, Alberto González, said that the supply of natural gas is solid and that the firm will look to growth by introducing more gas-powered appliances in homes, and invest in infrastructure.

The Association of Large Energy Consumers (Asoenergia) says a planned regasification plant for Cartagena does little to address the energy issues, and called on the government to follow through with a reform of the distribution of the “reliability charge”.

The Minister of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) Tomás González sent a letter to the mayors and governors of the Caribbean coast detailing a resolution from the ministry that he says will help expand existing infrastructure and deal with the region’s natural gas supply issues

The December MinMinas ‘accentuate the positive’ production press release only mentioned the slight month-over-month increase in December gas production, failing to mention that 2015 finished 5.6% below 2014. Or that, as the graph shows, the trend is decidedly negative.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) issued a decree (N°2345 of December 2015) that looks to increase the reliability and supply of natural gas in the country and address a lack of infrastructure.

After much fanfare the Minister of Mines and Energy Tomás González announced that authorities had reached an agreement with lawmakers and industry delegates from the Caribbean coast that would mean no new price increases for natural gas, to the dismay of gas producers. But now it emerges that the magic formula is in fact, optional.

Shortfalls in the supply of natural gas and drought due to El Niño weather could mean that thermal electrical generators will have to increase their use of diesel to generate energy, says a report.