Peru rules out possibility of exporting natural gas to Chile

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LIMA.- "La República" newspaper reported today that Peru has ruled out the possibility of exporting natural gas from the Camisea deposit to Chile, due to a desire to expand consumption within the country's domestic market.

According to the periodical, Juan Valdivia, the Peruvian Minister of Energy and Mines, stated that "there are no doubts regarding this matter. There is no contract to export natural gas to Chile".

"We are interested in expanding the use of natural gas so that we don't have to depend on liquid products such as gasoline and oil, we want to reduce production costs and we do not plan to export more natural gas", said the minister.

Valdivia made it clear that the only contract that exists for exporting natural gas from the Camisea deposit is one that Peru has with conglomerate formed by Hunto Oil and Repsol to export 4.2 trillion cubic feet in 20 years.

"Repsol has signed a contract with Mexico to sell them all of the natural gas that was signed over by the former administration, so there is no way we can export natural gas to Chile", said Valdivia.