Argentina is unlikely to develop serious liquified natural gas (LNG) export capacity this decade because of the current political and economic unpredictability, researchers at the country’s Austral University and the UK’s Oxford Institute for Energy Studies said recently.

However, while “Argentina might not become a relevant LNG exporter in this decade,” the country “will continue to play a significant role as a regional seasonal exporter through its existing infrastructure of exporting pipelines,” the authors said in a report.

Argentina has 10 natural gas export pipelines connecting it to Chile, Uruguay and Brazil. It is the country with the largest natural gas market in South America. Natural gas accounts for 58% of the primary energy supply in Argentina, the...