IS VENEZUELA BECOMING A NATURAL GAS PLAYER IN LATIN AMERICA? - Recent Developments May Reshape the Natural Gae Export Market in Latin America

摘要

To date, major producers and exporters of natural gas in Latin America have been Mexico, serving the consumer markets in the North (United States), and Bolivia, exporting its gas to several countries located in South America. Venezuela has been a major exporter of oil and heavy hydrocarbons (from the Orinoco Belt) but not of natural gas, although its proven natural gas reserves amount to 170.9 Tcf (4.84 × 10~12 m~3), representing 2.6% of world gas reserves (BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2009).