Christopher joined NGI as a Senior Editor for Mexico and Latin America in November, 2018. Prior to that, he was a Senior Editorial Manager at BNamericas in Santiago, Chile. Based out of Santiago, he has covered Latin American energy markets since 2009 as a reporter, editor and analyst. He has an MA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University and a BA in International Studies from Trinity College.
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Articles from Christopher Lenton
Drought Said Exacerbating Already Tight Power Market Conditions Across West
The shutdown of California’s 644 MW Edward Hyatt hydroelectric power plant because of insufficient water levels at the Oroville Dam reservoir is squeezing an already tight power market in the western United States, according to Moody’s Investors Services. On Aug. 5, the California Department of Water Resources took the plant offline. This has contributed to…
Buoyed by Rising Prices, SilverBow Expands Eagle Ford Position
Houston’s SilverBow Resources Inc. has continued its Lower 48 acreage expansion amid high commodity prices with a new natural gas-rich acquisition. The latest deal is an estimated $33 million all-stock transaction with an undisclosed seller. SilverBow is gaining 45,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas, bolstering its gas-weighted position in McMullen…
AMLO Touts Isthmus Natural Gas Pipeline as U.S. Imports Swell
Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said a natural gas pipeline connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts is set to go ahead. The 320 MMcf/d Jaltipán-Salina Cruz pipeline would cross the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the narrowest strip of land in Mexico, between the two coasts. “A gas pipeline in the isthmus is planned to transport…
Mexico Natural Gas Market Spotlight: Strong Summer Prices Causing Domestic Headaches
Soaring natural gas prices, along with the rising prices of other imported fuels, were causing inflation worries and are a hot-button topic in Mexico, according to experts. “The price of energy in Mexico is becoming an important issue,” Gadex consultant Eduardo Prud’homme told NGI’s Mexico GPI. In July, the Mexican government placed price caps on liquified…
Ecopetrol Shows Strong Permian Results, Rebound from Colombia Disruptions
Colombia’s Ecopetrol SA saw its production take a hit in the second quarter because of social unrest in the country but management foresees a strong recovery this year. Ecopetrol was also boosted in the second quarter by its joint venture (JV) with Occidental Petroleum Corp. in the Permian Basin’s Midland formation in West Texas. “Social…
Mexico Natural Gas Market Spotlight: Domestic Production Up as U.S. Prices Hit $4.20
Mexico’s natural gas production is helping to meet national demand as U.S. prices continue to soar this summer. “Mexican dry gas output is ramping up again,” WoodMackenzie analyst Richardo Falcón told NGI’s Mexico GPI. Since July 21, dry gas production has averaged nearly 2.5 Bcf/d, up 0.24 Bcf/d above average levels seen for the past…
Haynesville-Focused Vine Set to Certify Natural Gas as 100% Responsibly Sourced
Vine Energy Inc., whose production focus is the Haynesville Shale, said it plans to certify 100% of its output as responsibly sourced gas (RSG). The independent reached an agreement for monitoring company Project Canary to begin the certification process of all the producing wells starting in November. In addition, Project Canary would provide continuous emissions…
Eni’s Gusher in Mexico’s GOM Waters Said Sign of Remaining Untapped Potential
Italy’s Eni SpA has announced another deepwater find in the Sureste Basin in southeastern Mexico’s Gulf of Mexico (GOM), with preliminary estimates indicating 150-200 million boe in place. The estimated resources “reflect that there’s still untapped potential to be brought to market,” Amexhi head Merlin Cochran told NGI’s Mexico GPI. Amexhi is a Mexico private…
Mexico Natural Gas Market Spotlight: June Volumes, Imports Strong Amid High Prices
Mexico natural gas prices were $3.53/MMBtu in June compared to May prices of $3.74, according to the latest IPGN monthly index published by the Comisión Reguladora de Energía (CRE). Gas prices were up significantly from last June when they averaged $2.32. Natural gas volumes transacted by marketers that reported to CRE reached 7.796 Bcf/d in…
Pemex Posts Rare Quarterly Profit as Oil Prices Swing Upward
Mexico’s state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) posted a rare 14 billion-peso ($719 million) profit in the second quarter thanks to higher sales revenue. The oil giant had posted a $2 billion loss in the year-ago quarter. Oil production rose to 1.736 million b/d in the second quarter compared with 1.673 million b/d in the…