From January to November last year, fuel sales totaled 1.010 million gallons, 5% less than the 1.058 million gallons reported in the first eleven months of the previous year.
The most recent data published by the General Comptroller of the Republic of Panama details that during the first eleven months of 2018 the consumption of gasoline in the country, which includes the 91 and 95 octane, totaled 300 million gallons, 0.8% more than in the same period last year.
The government is working on a draft bill to regulate the distribution of energy generated from natural gas in the country.
At a time when investments in power generation projects based on natural gas in Panama and in the region are increasing, the head of the Panamanian Ministry of Energy has confirmed to Laestrella.com.pa that they are preparing the basis for a regulatory framework for the distribution of energy generated from gas.
President Hernández announced that the country will join an ambitious project which for now has not transcended the good but vague intentions of the Mexican government.
From a statement issued by the presidency of Guatemala:
The president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, announced in Guatemala City that his country will join the pipeline project, whose construction is the result of a bilateral agreement between Guatemala and Mexico.
The Maritime Authority has signed an agreement with the Port of Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA, as part of the strategy to attract new customers within the logistics sector for liquefied natural gas.
From a statement issued by the Panama Canal Authority:
The Panama Canal has signed a cooperation agreement with the Port of Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States, as part of the strategy to attract new customers in the market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) taking advantage of the benefits afforded by use of the expanded Canal.
The government has announced its interest in measuring the commercial potential of any possible deposits while projecting a center for regional distribution for Liquefied Natural Gas.
Projections are that new permits will be granted for oil and gas exploration in the province of Darien and on the Caribbean coast.
Victor Urrutia, Secretary of Energy, told Prensa.com that "...
The National Public Services Authority has revoked the final license granted to Panama NG Power for the construction and operation of a power plant in the province of Colón.
From the order given by the National Authority for Public Services in Panama (ASEP):
It is resolved:
"... FIRST: DECLARE CANCELED the Final License granted to the company NG POWER PANAMA, SA, registered in the Public Registry on Listing 691,187 of Document 1725036 of the Microfilm Section (Mercantile), by Resolution No.7333 AN-Elec of 6 May 2014, as amended by Resolution No.7369 AN-Elec on May 21, 2014, to develop a project for thermal generation using natural gas for electricity generation, called Telfers, to be located in the town of Cristobal, in the district and province of Colon, with an installed capacity of 670 MW. "
Although it is not yet clear how it will be financed, representatives from both governments have started to work on the technical and legal details of the project.
Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "... Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has put forward a scenario in which includes gas produced by Mexico and the gas imported from the US. The cost is estimated at around US $737 million and the execution would be carried out between 2016 and 2017.
Private sector leaders have asked President Evo Morales to start negotiations for the import of gas at a cost of $500 thousand per year.
The Chairman of the Bolivian State Power Corporation, YPFB, along with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons would be responsible for negotiating supply to the Central American country, according to statements by the nation's President Evo Morales.
The Mexican government is considering constructing a pipeline and eventually a refinery to supply the region.
Miguel Hakim, Mexican Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, said his country is considering building a refinery and natural gas pipeline which would cross the isthmus and would be an alternative option for generating power at low cost. Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), has $2 billion to invest.
A bill in Congress could expand the state monopoly held by Recope to the LNG market.
Nacion.com reports: "The initiative was presented by five members of the Citizen Action Party (PAC by its initials in Spanish), with the intention of safeguarding the hydrocarbon, taking into account a legal loophole which could leave it outside of state control. If the law reform comes to fruition it would create a monopoly on liquefied natural gas, just as with other fuels. "
The company will sell power at 13/100 a kilowatt hour through a contract with a term from March 1, 2017 to February 29, 2036.
Prensa.com reports that "the company will sell power at 13 cents per kilowatt hour. This was the only offer received in the tender by Etesa whose parameters were criticized by business groups, after two addenda were included establishing that proposals could only be made by companies that posses a permanent or temporary license. "
The Panama Canal Authority is promoting the development of automotive and natural gas terminals on land bordering the new canal.
Jorge Quijano, ACP Administrator, met with current clients of the Canal and carmakers.
"We see that the route requires not only more traffic, but also land development," said the official, who explained that the ACP has about 900 acres available, some created with earthworks from the Canal expansion, and there are currently 8 megaprojects under evaluation.
They are opposed to the tender for natural gas energy being awarded to the company NG Power, the only one to bid in the process.
"The Inter-institutional Energy Commission, comprised of six organizations, has requested that the contract not be granted and instead, a new public event be launched that includes more participants", reported Prensa.com.
The Panama company NG Power was the only bidder in the tender to generate electricity from natural gas for 20 years at a price of 8 cents per kilowatt hour.
"The prices are pretty good. We will take the necessary steps to make a final decision for the contracts," said Fernando Marciscano CEO of the Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A. (Etesa), while downplaying criticism of the bidding process in light of the fact that at last moment only temporarily or permanently licensed firms were allowed to participate, when the tender had originally been open," noted an article in Prensa.com .