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 IPGN Natural Gas Prices Soar Tenfold in February to Historic High
Mexico natural gas prices rose to an astonishing average of $21.37/MMBtu in February, up from $3.39/MMBtu in January, following freezing weather in Texas, according to the latest IPGN monthly natural gas price index published by the Comisión Reguladora de Energía (CRE). The February price, up from the February 2020 average of $2.71/MMBtu, was the highest…
March 25, 2021
Latin American Upstream Oil, Gas Activity Emerging from Coronavirus Slump
Latin America’s oil and gas producing countries are returning to pre-coronavirus levels of activity after a year of uncertainty and disruption. Last February, just before the coronavirus reached the region, 184 oil and gas rigs were active across Latin America, according to information from oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Co. Drilling activity dipped, then plunged,…
March 23, 2021
Argentina’s YPF Commits $1.5B to Neuquén in 2021, Aims to Up Gas Output by 70%
Argentina’s state oil company Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales SA (YPF) plans to spend $1.5 billion to boost oil and gas production this year in Neuquén province, home to the giant Vaca Muerta formation. YPF “has come out to announce its big effort to all Argentines, an investment that will translate into an important increase in oil…
March 22, 2021
Brazil Natural Gas Law Awaiting President’s Signature, Paving Way for ‘Open, Competitive’ Market
Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies, the federal legislative body and lower house of the National Congress, on Wednesday passed a highly anticipated natural gas law aimed at opening up the country’s pipelines to market players to increase competition in the sector. The bill, which has been held up for months, now goes to President Jair Bolsonaro…
March 18, 2021
Monterrey Said Best Suited for First Mexico Natural Gas Pricing Index
Respondents to NGI’s fourth Mexico gas price survey said the industrial hub of Monterrey in the northeastern part of the country would be the best place for a domestic pricing index to form. The industrial area has various gas options and sees the Sistrangas national pipeline system converge with Kinder Morgan Inc.’s Mier-Monterrey system and…
March 16, 2021
Regulatory Uncertainty Said Holding Back Brazil’s Potential Regasification Boom
Brazil is being seen increasingly as an attractive destination for liquefied natural gas (LNG), but regulatory barriers are hindering development of the country’s market. According to analysts at shipbroker Poten & Partners, regasification project developers and infrastructure owners are “pushing back against what they see as regulatory barriers” holding back the promised liberalization of the…
March 12, 2021
Latest Mexico Gas Price Survey Shows Market Growing More Reliant on U.S. Indexes
The Mexico gas market continues to grow more comfortable using U.S. pricing to transact natural gas, according to the fourth survey of natural gas buyers and sellers in Mexico conducted by NGI’s Mexico GPI. The survey, conducted in late February/early March, received 23 responses from buyers and sellers in Mexico. According to respondents, 64% of…
March 10, 2021
‘Unique’ Circumstances Bode Well for Improving U.S., Mexico Trade Relationship
There has been considerable friction between Mexico’s government and U.S. investors in the energy sector recently, but conditions are in place for booming trade between the two nations according to a new analysis by Washington, DC, think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “The next four years present a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the…
March 9, 2021
Upcoming Years Present ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Opportunity for Mexico-U.S. Trade Relationship
There has been considerable friction between Mexico’s government and U.S. investors in the energy sector recently, but conditions are in place for booming trade between the two nations according to a new analysis from Washington, DC think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “The next four years present a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the…
March 8, 2021
Natural Gas, Technology and Efficiencies Taking Prominent Role as Latin American NOCs Transition
Talk of the energy transition dominated this week’s CERAWeek by IHS Markit, with Latin America’s national oil companies (NOC), which have long served as key sources of revenue for their governments, part of the discussion. The consensus is oil and gas will remain relevant for decades as energy use intensifies across rapidly developing economies. However,…
March 4, 2021