GlobalData: Foreign firms look to play crucial role in Venezuelan oil and gas sector

However, in the long term, having access to the vast hydrocarbon reserves of Venezuela compensates the current country risks and current negative cash flows in joint ventures (JVs), says GlobalData.

In this way, foreign companies have formally or informally also gained operatorship in key upstream fields located mainly in the Orinoco Belt. Indeed, Rosneft gained operatorship in the Mejillones and Patao blocks and exporting rights for 30 years with an in-kind 20% royalty rate.

Chinese and Russian companies have invested the most in the Venezuelan oil and gas sector during recent years. China, through its Development Bank, has provided more than US$60 billion in loans to Venezuela. In 2018, it has given an additional US$5 billion loan to support oil developments in the country, on top of the US$6.3 billion in loans since 2014 from Rosneft.

David Bautista, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “In other important basins such as Maracaibo or East Venezuela, most companies have recovered their initial investments. Thus foreign participants will likely be able to improve their JV terms and conditions in exchange for capital injection in the sector if the critical situation ends when PDVSA is finally able to boost production.”

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/19102018/globaldata-foreign-firms-look-to-play-crucial-role-in-venezuelan-oil-and-gas-sector/