With substantial interests in two privately-owned natural gas utilities that supply about one-third of the gas in Argentina, San Diego, CA-based Sempra Energy said Monday the South American nation’s current political and economic upheaval has had no adverse impact thus far on its energy infrastructure investments, but a spokesperson said the company was “obviously monitoring the situation closely.”

Sempra Energy International, a subsidiary of the utility holding company, maintains an office in Buenos Aires, and has investments in Chile, Peru and Uruguay, in addition to Argentina. All of the company’s employees and facilities so far have been untouched by the wave of looting, violence and political instability that has caused the nation’s president, and subsequently, interim president, to resign in the past two weeks.

“The employees are safe and our operations are continuing as normal,” said Sempra’s Doug Kline, its chief spokesperson in San Diego, noting Sempra has about 8 employees in Argentina.”It is the beginning of the summer in Argentina, so this is a low-usage period for natural gas.”

Both Argentine utilities are privately held between Sempra companies and two local companies in that nation, Camuzzi Gas del Sur, SA, and Camuzzi Gas Pampeana, SA. Sempra has a 43% interest in both Argentine companies’ natural gas distribution operations that serve 1.3 million customers covering southern and central Argentina. The companies serve the province in which Buenos Aires is located but not the massive capital city itself where much of the political unrest is centered.

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