Users hoping to connect to the natural gas network in the cities of the Río Negro, Neuquén and Chubut mountain range received this Friday the deadlines for the completion of the complementary works that were resumed with financing from the provinces, but that at the end will be paid with a fee.
The hearing of parties which this Friday led by Zoom the Subrogating federal judge of Bariloche, Gustavo Villanuevain the context of the protection promoted by the consumer defense organization Codec, cleared up several doubts for users who were waiting for an official response, who received the date of the June 30, 2025 as the deadline for the completion of the complementary works of the mountain gas pipeline.
There it was also learned that Camuzzithe service distribution company that in July 2022 decided to restrict new connections so as not to overdemand the system or generate inconveniences for current usersis in charge of completing the works that consist of the installation of a new compressor plant in Río Seguer and a motor-compressor unit at the existing Gobernador Costa plant, both tasks within the jurisdiction of the province of Chubut.
The information was reflected in the judicial hearing in which representatives of Camuzzi participated (the company originally sued although it was not in charge of these works), the Ministry of Energy of the Nation, Public Works, Enargas (regulatory entity) and the state company Enarsa (which had to execute the tasks), together with the plaintiff Codec, chaired by former Bariloche councilor Pablo Chamatrópulos, who has been promoting the protection for a year.
The protectionist, despite the judicial delay, was satisfied with the “certainty” we now have regarding the works and has expectations that new gas connections can begin to be reestablished even before that deadline, when demand is low.
Chamatrópulos also indicated that the Codec granted a suspension of deadlines so that the judicial file remains motionless until the works are completed or gas connections are restored to the affected users.
Also It was valued as a “progress” that was included in the agreement that Camuzzi must present a monthly report on the progress of works.
The judicial file has not had any major developments so far and Judge Villanueva never ruled ordering the completion of the works so that gas connections can be reestablished for new users in the 25 affected towns, including Bariloche where there are some 5,000 families waiting. to access natural gas of the 15,000 total.
The solution came due to a political impulse from the governors Ignacio Torres (Chubut), Alberto Weretilneck (Río Negro) and Rolando Figueroa (Neuquén) who in January at the first meeting of Patagonian leaders put the issue and the efforts to unblock it on the agenda.
As previously reported, the provinces will finance the remainder of the work with contributions of 50% from Río Negro, 25% from Neuquén and 25% from Chubut, although the last two will make the investment in the first instance. The total amounts to 7,000 million pesos, according to what this newspaper learned. But what was not known until yesterday – after the agreement was made public – is that the work that the provinces will pay for will be included in the five-year tariff review negotiations that Camuzzi must agree with Enargas at the end of this year.
The gas pipeline that covers the mountain range of the three Patagonian provinces has a capacity to transport 1.2 million cubic meters per day and with the complementary tasks of the compressor plants it will increase to 1.5 million m3/day. With this injection it is estimated that it will be able to cover demand without any problems.
