Taking into account the increasing relevance of natural gas as energy source and the abundance of this resource in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Regional Association of Oil, Gas and Biofuels Sector Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARPEL) created a work team integrated by professionals of the member companies and institutions, which will address the main challenges of this industry.

ARPEL Gas and Energy Committee celebrated its first meeting the last 5-6 June in Ancap´s offices, in Montevideo. Experts from Ancap, CBHE, CIER, Ecopetrol, IHS, Ocensa, Petroperu, Pluspetrol, Repsol, YPF and YPFB, from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Peru and Uruguay, participated in the encounter. The Committee also includes professionals from the following companies: Schlumberger, PCJ, Equion y Recope. The work team will be led by David Tezanos, Executive Manager of Gas and Energy of YPF.

Besides promoting the knowledge exchange among professionals, the ARPEL Gas and Energy Committee will be created with the goal of generating a place to share good practices and learned lessons with reference to processing, transport, supplying, distribution, markets development, new technologies and uses, and LNG, among others. 

As a result of both work journals, four thematic areas to be develop were identified: Energy matrix complementarity; Gas markets development; Energy and interaction with the electricity sector and other sources, and Trainning opportunities.

The next Gas and Energy Committee meeting will be held in late October in Buenos Aires. In this encounter a workshop about experiences exchange in gas markets development will be carried out and a trip to the Escobar regasification Terminal.