Argentina re-exports gas to Chile

At a bilateral meeting, the energy ministers of both countries, Susana Jimnez and Javier Iguacel, pledged to prioritize energy integration between the two countries.

Among the steps that come to realize this integration is the start of natural gas imports from Argentina in October and the progress of the study that identifies future lines of electrical interconnection between the two countries. two countries.

in Santiago, the energy ministers of Chile and Argentina, Susana Jimnez and Javier Iguacel, respectively, who reaffirmed the political priority of the two governments in the matter of energy integration.

The meeting was about the measures to implement the protocol of agreement for the export, import, marketing and transport of electricity and natural gas signed in last April by Presidents Sebastin Piera and Mauricio Macri.

The agreement establishes that these operations may be carried out so long as they do not compromise internal supply, do not affect the safety of the operation, or the quality and the the reliability of the transmission and distribution of natural gas and electricity services in each country. .

The first of this protocol is that it allows international operations of electric power and natural gas, without the need to make a compensation or a return of the energy resource.

Energy integration with Argentina means huge benefits for both countries, such as greater security and flexibility for our systems, and future regional energy integration in the southern cone, badured Susana Jimnez , Chilean Minister of Energy.

The authority pointed out that President Sebastin Piera has made the regional energy interconnection one of the mega commitments of the Energy Road that drives the portfolio.

For his part, the Argentine Minister of Energy, Javier Iguacel, made progress in this meeting: We reaffirm today Argentina's commitment to the exchanges of Energy with our brother country of Chile and with the region. We are making progress in our goal of being gas and oil exporters again. In October, we will return exporting gas to Chile after 11 years

Importation of gas from Argentina

This agreement already sees its first results. After the meeting of the two authorities, it was possible to confirm the import of unconventional natural gas from Argentina in October this year, especially from Neuqun through the Vaca Muerta field until 39. at Biobo.

In addition, the state of unconventional gas production in the Southern Basin and the possible exports of natural gas to the Magallanes region were discussed, reaffirming Chile's interest in the development of natural gas. supply of Argentine natural gas for the southern and southern areas.

Greater integration in the gas exchange can also be a good solution to solve problems such as pollution of the south-central cities of the country, giving more options for the energy matrix for to heat in this zone where it predominates today the lea hmeda, explains the Chilean minister

Vaca Muerta will give us gas in abundance so that the inhabitants of Argentina and Chile profit from a much cheaper gas, achieving a cleaner and greener economy, with Less pollution, badured Minister Iguacel

Electricity Interconnection

The authorities also badyzed the details of the electricity. study started in April this year, concerning the economic benefits of four new alternatives for the interconnection of the Chilean electricity system with the Argentine system.

Today, there is only one line of electrical interconnection between Chile and Argentina, which connects the Andean substation to Mejillones with the Cobos substation, in the province of Salta, Argentina. In February 2016, Chile realizes its surplus electricity exports to Argentina, for a total of 102 GWh in 2016 and 36.25 GWh in 2017.

Binational Work Table [19659002] At the meeting, Jimnez and Iguacel also badyzed the scope of the binational Concertation Table created under the last agreement for the import, export and marketing of energy resources between the two

] This body focuses its work on regulatory harmonization to govern the exchange of energy resources between the two countries and the possible aspects of interinstitutional cooperation.

The authorities also highlighted the successful experiences of interinstitutional cooperation between the two ministries, in particular on the subject of energy efficiency, renewable energies and long-term energy planning.