Chile
wants gas from T&T
British
Gas, Energy Ministry embark on feasibility
study for Train V
By Asha Javeed
The Trinidad Guardian
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
07 22 07
Chilean
Ambassador, Gabriel Zapeda, is hoping that his
country will be able to source LNG from
T&T if a fifth LNG train becomes a reality.
British Gas and the Ministry of Energy have embarked
on an 18-month exercise to determine the feasibility
of a fifth train.
Zapeda said Chile was looking to diversify its
energy sources as the South American country imports
100 per cent of the natural gas it uses for industrial
and domestic consumption from its neighbour Argentina.
Since 2004, Chile has experienced natural gas
shortages as Argentina started to reduce shipments
to meet its own domestic demand. Chile was forced
to use backup fuel stored in a pipeline between
the two countries to provide heating and cooking
fuel to Chilean homes.
GasAtacama,
a Chilean utility and gas pipeline company that
supplies electricity to the world’s
biggest copper miners, has said it expects reduced
supplies of natural gas from neighbouring Argentina
in 2007.
GasAtacama and French energy producer Suez announced
last year that they were considering a plan to
build a US$350 million liquefied natural gas plant
in northern Chile.
Gabriel Zapeda said the plant is expected to be
ready by 2009.
“We
have good reason to believe Trinidad will be
one of our suppliers. The possibility of
a new train should increase its capacity to export
LNG. We understand that most of what is presently
produced is sold. We read about the cross-border
agreements with Venezuela and we are confident
that by the time we have a plant ready, we would
be able to source LNG from Trinidad.”
Zapeda, who has a masters in international relations,
said the country was now experiencing one of the
coldest winters and there was the constant threat
of energy security.
With this in mind Chile was now looking for new
alternatives.
The
Latin American country already generates electricity
by hydropower but is looking at long-term opportunities
such as geothermal generation and nuclear. It’s
reported that Chile has ten per cent of world’s
geothermal resources. It has 250 volcanoes, of
which over 50 are active, providing significant
tectonic activity assuring the existence of geothermal
power.
“There
are now different sectors requesting studies
on nuclear plants. Many are believing that
it is time to explore this possibility.”
He observed that in the short term, the country
has managed to substitute natural gas with coal
and oil but the price of oil was a limiting factor.
“Copper,
which is our biggest export, needs electricity.
Coal is cheaper but there are environmental
problems.”
In the short term, the country could experience
higher electricity prices.
Last month, the Chilean government launched an
international bidding round to invite private companies
to tender for ten geographical blocks located in
the Magallanes Basin of southern Chile.
Trinidad
Guardian
Thursday 19th July, 2007
Copyright
©2007 Trinidad Guardian. All Rights Reserved.
