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
Mexico Natural Gas Market Spotlight: April Prices Fall to Lowest This Year
Mexico natural gas prices dropped to $3.37/MMBtu in April, the lowest average monthly price so far this year, according to the latest IPGN monthly index published by the Comisión Reguladora de Energía (CRE). The prices, however, were more than $1 higher compared with April 2020, when the CRE reported prices of $2.13/MMBtu. The CRE used…
May 27, 2021
Colombia’s Ecopetrol Natural Gas, Oil Operations Hampered by Protests
Colombia’s national oil company Ecopetrol SA is the latest firm to announce operational difficulties because of protests that have roiled the country for almost a month. The company said the segment worst hit has been natural gas, including natural gas liquids and liquid petroleum gas, principally in the Cuisana and Floreña fields. Oil production has…
May 27, 2021
Mexico’s Pemex Snaps Up Ownership of Texas Refinery in Quest for Energy Self-Sufficiency
Mexico’s state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) will add more refining capacity to its portfolio with the deal announced Monday to purchase Royal Dutch Shell plc’s share in the partnership that owns the Deer Park refinery on the Texas coast. The $596 million transaction was celebrated by Mexican officials as yet another step on the…
May 25, 2021
Medallion Testing Support to Move Permian Oil to South Texas
Medallion Pipeline Company LLC has launched a nonbinding open season through June 25 for the capacity it leases on the Epic Crude Oil Pipeline. The 30-inch diameter Epic oil system extends from Orla, TX, in the heart of the Permian to the Port of Corpus Christi in South Texas. It transports oil from the Permian’s…
May 25, 2021
Mexico Natural Gas Spotlight: Prices Moderate After Early-Week Surge
After jumping on Monday, U.S. natural gas prices at locations key to Mexico came back to earth through Thursday on the back of weather-driven demand uncertainty. The Henry Hub June contract settled at $2.965/MMBtu on Wednesday, down 4.8 cents, while Agua Dulce stayed above the $3 mark but shed 5.8 cents to close at $3.067.…
May 20, 2021
As Colombia Protests Rage On, ‘Almost All’ Energy Companies Impacted
Colombia’s key oil and gas industry has started to feel the impacts of nationwide protests that have dragged on for three weeks. On Wednesday, Energy Minister Diego Mesa said overall oil production had dropped below the 700,000 b/d mark for the first time since 2009. Several producers working the country have publicly announced adverse impacts.…
May 20, 2021
Mexico’s CFE to Enter Arbitration, Says Reasons ‘Solid’ for Not Paying Pricey Natural Gas Bill
Mexico’s state utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) is set to enter international arbitration over a payment dispute with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. “We are in an international arbitrage process,” a CFE spokesperson told NGI’s Mexico GPI. “CFE thinks it has solid and sufficient arguments to gain a favorable ruling.” A CFE trading subsidiary reportedly…
May 18, 2021
Mexico Natural Gas Market Spotlight: Expect Higher Prices in Coming Months
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) sees natural gas spot prices at Henry Hub averaging $2.78/MMBtu in the second quarter and $3.05 for 2021 overall, a slight upward revision from its forecast last month. According to new research from the U.S. Department of Energy, Mexico paid $2.12/MMBtu on average for U.S. gas in 2020 and…
May 13, 2021
Chesapeake Looking to Build Lower 48 Natural Gas Supply, Searching for New CEO
Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. expects to up the natural gas mix in its production portfolio to 85% in 2022 from 77%, executives said Wednesday in the first quarter earnings call. The recently restructured company expects its gas production to hit 715-735 Bcf this year. Capital expenditures are set at $670-740 million, executives said. At…
May 13, 2021
Argentina LNG Export Ambitions Said Unlikely to Materialize Before 2030
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…
May 12, 2021