According to Argentine portals, the sale of Vaca Muerta gas marks the beginning of a new energy policy in the region and Bolivia will serve as a bridge between the hydrocarbon producing basins in Argentina and Brazilian consumers.
Following the signing of an international contract, Argentina has begun exporting natural gas from Vaca Muerta to Brazil using Bolivia's gas pipeline infrastructure, the Argentine press reported on Thursday.
Argentina's Infoenergía portal confirmed the "historic step" that the country has taken in its energy policy. "This advance marks a paradigm shift, as Argentina goes from being an importer of Bolivian gas to taking advantage of its gas pipelines to sell its production to the Brazilian market."
The agreement, signed by TotalEnergies, Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) and Grupo Matrix Energia of Brazil, will allow the transportation of up to 2 million cubic meters per day (MMm3/d) of Argentine gas through the Bolivian Integrated Transport System (SIT).
“This interruptible contract will be valid until July 2025, marking the beginning of a regional integration that could transform the South American energy market,” he added.
TRANSPORT
Bolivia, through YPFB, implemented a series of regulations to facilitate the transit of gas through its pipelines. This system, which covers some 1,000 kilometers of pipelines, connects production centers in Argentina with the main consumers in Brazil.
“Argentina begins to export natural gas to Brazil using Bolivian infrastructure”, with this title the Infobae portal also highlights the beginning of the sale of gas from that country to Brazil.
The Bolivian infrastructure will serve as a bridge between the hydrocarbon producing basins in Argentina and Brazilian consumers, he said, marking a significant step in cooperation between the three countries.
“Bolivia, which stopped sending natural gas to Argentina in September after the end of a two-decade contract, is seeking to leverage its transportation infrastructure to generate additional revenue. Bolivian gas exports to Argentina had reached 17 million cubic meters per day at their peak between 2006 and 2017; but have since shown a sustained decline, reaching only 4 million cubic meters per day in recent months,” he explains.
GAS
With this new strategy, Bolivia hopes to redirect its hydrocarbon surpluses to Brazil, offering competitive prices and ensuring better use of its transportation resources.
Authorities stressed that the highland country is now positioned as a key bridge in regional gas logistics, taking advantage of its geographic location and its extensive pipeline network.
In the long term, experts say that cooperation between these countries could establish a sustainable model for energy trade, provided that the necessary investments in infrastructure and production are maintained.
The Bolivian government estimates that the country will receive more than US$ 10 million in revenues per month thanks to the transportation of natural gas from Argentina to Brazil through Bolivian pipelines.
According to the Minister of Economy, Marcelo Montenegro, this operation will begin gradually and will depend on the volume of gas that Argentina allocates to the Brazilian market.
The agreement is part of Supreme Decree 5206, which regulates the management of gas in transit through Bolivia's Integrated Transportation System (ITS), supervised by YPFB.
