LNG

Leading LNG exporter Qatar is aiming to secure its position in shale-gas development in Argentina as the Gulf state’s Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani begins a state visit to the South American nation when energy investments will head the agenda.

Argentine Energy Minister Juan Jose Aranguren said the LNG importing nation planned to launch its first offshore licensing round in almost three decades in mid-2018 in the hope of developing fields off its Atlantic coast like those in neighbouring Brazil and to complement its growing efforts in producing energy from onshore shale plays.

Argentine state-run energy company Integracion Energetica Argentina (IEASA), formerly known as Enarsa, has revealed the main winners of its latest LNG cargo tender with four companies chosen as the main suppliers.

Argentina plans to auction offshore oil and gas exploration rights in 2018 in the hope of developing fields off its Atlantic coast like those in neighbouring Brazil and to complement its efforts in onshore shale plays for energy production to offset imports such as LNG.