“Natural gas is the fuel for the energy transition towards a low-carbon economy,” said the Executive Secretary of the Latin American Energy Organization (Olade), Alfonso Blanco, during his presentation on the New Trends in the Natural Gas Market in Latin America and The Caribbean, which was held in the framework of the conferences that take place during the Week of Hydrocarbons, from August 19 to 23, 2019 in Bolivia. Event that includes the 2nd International Forum on Gas, Petrochemicals and Green Fuels 2019.
In this conference, Olade’s Executive Secretary Alfonso Blanco added that the energy sector has an advantage as it is competitive in any of the regional markets.
He also pointed out that Argentina’s energy transformation from being an importing country to an exporter will be a situation that will alter the hydrocarbon scenario of the region.
Regarding the opportunities that exist for Bolivia, the Executive Secretary of Olade said that “although oil continues to have a very important impact on the region’s energy matrix, the demand for natural gas is increasingly expanding and represents an opportunity for Bolivia ”.
Regarding integration in the region, he said that gas integration is one of the elements that should be considered, since it allows the creation of new regional markets and reduces dependence on specific markets.
At the end of his intervention, the Executive Secretary of Olade, Alfonso Blanco, stressed that “renewable natural gas will have a greater impact on the future scenario to accompany this electrification of the demand and replace the use of liquid fuels.”
During these keynote lectures of the 2nd Forum of Gas, Petrochemicals and Green Fuels, which take place in Bolivia, the Executive Secretary of Olade, also participated in the panel “Global Gas Market and its challenges” together with the Minister of Hydrocarbons of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Sánchez; the Secretary General of the Regional Association of Petroleum Sector Companies (Arpel), Izeusse Braga; the Secretary General of the International Gas Union (IGU), Luis Bertrán and the representative of FPEG, Dmitri Socolov.
In this panel the participants agreed that the demand for natural gas, considered an environmentally friendly energy, will grow in the world and will rapidly replace coal; however, their prices will tend to fall which is why production will have to be more efficient.
At the discretion of Olade Executive Secretary, Alfonso Blanco, the world and the region enter a stage of energy transition where natural gas is the protagonist and also Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Part of this agenda of activities of the Week of Hydrocarbons, the Executive Secretary of Olade, participated, as guest of honor, in the keynote conference on New Trends in Natural Gas Market in Latin America and the Caribbean, aimed at university students of Bolivia.
Department of Communication
and Institutional Relations