The delay in the conclusion of key works, a poor purchasing schedule and an early winter formed a perfect combo for Argentina to go through a new winter with problems in the gas supply.
When the majority of the population trusted that the construction of the gas pipeline from Vaca Muerta was the definitive solution, an anomalous climatic situation appeared and the problems multiplied.
Given the situation, the Government declared a pre-energy emergency, which triggered a supply cut to users with interruptible contracts.
Consulted by NA, former Secretary of Energy Daniel Montamat described a complicated outlook for the coming months.
“Winter was anticipated and we are demanding about 140 m3 per day as residential demand doubles, which is 70/80 m3,” He detailed, while clarifying that “the industrial sector is in a semi-recession in different parts of the country because if it had not climbed further.”
Montamat pointed out that since “On the supply side we have the problem that Bolivia is sending us less gas and we should have started earlier the works to revert the Northern gas pipeline to inject gas from Vaca Muerta. These works have started but they will not be there for the winter, which means that the restrictions will be felt in the northern part of the country.”
He added that the “Neuba III gas pipeline (which brings gas from Vaca Muerta) is started and completed in a first stage and is transmitting 11 million m3 per day and should be transporting double that.”
At the same time, he also noted that “there is a delay in the compression works so that more gas can pass through the same pipe.”
Montamat indicated that due to poor programming “20 LNG ships were imported and possibly more should have been imported.”
The specialist pointed out that “in summary, winter was anticipated, demand grew and bottlenecks must be cleared. There is gas, but logistics and a bit of articulation and programming are lacking,” he concluded.
A similar diagnosis was made by Emilio Apud, who also held the position of Secretary of Energy, but with special emphasis on the errors that occurred with the construction of the NEUBA III gas pipeline. “misnamed Néstor Kirchner.”
After listing his disagreements over the construction and management of the ENARSA company last winter, Apud remarked to this agency that “the gas pipeline was inaugurated five times and is half done.”
The former official also pointed out that only 11 million m3 circulate through the pipeline when 22 million m3 should be transported.
“Winter came earlier and the Government had planned to import 20 ships and now ordered 10 more, but in the meantime, so that the power plants do not replace all the gas with diesel oil, which is more than five times more expensive, then they resort to cutting off the gas to those who have interruptible supply,” he added.
Although he admitted that he inherited a complicated situation, Apud considered that “This Government also rested a little on its laurels since it should have evaluated accelerating payments to the firms that are building the compressor plants to have 10 million m3 more daily because ultimately, what was being owed to continue with the work was in the order of US$ “S 35/40 million, which is nothing compared to what it costs to import gas or diesel.”
For her part, the former undersecretary of energy planning and director of the Encuentro Foundation, Cecilia Garibotti stated that “last year we made sure with the President Néstor Kirchner Gasduct we could supply the country with local gas, which had to be complemented with compressor plants and with the reversal of the Northern Gasduct, but all these works were stopped by the current government.”
