Repsol glides to operate in Nicaragua

* She is one of the 10 oil greatest ones of the world
* It is not known which are the areas of interest of the company that, among other things, explores and produces petroleum and gas

This one is the refinery the Silver, in Argentina, one of the so many investments of the Spanish multinational Repsol.

The Spanish company Repsol YPF, one of the ten oil greatest ones of the world, announced its intention to invest in Nicaragua, according to a information disclosed yesterday by the agency of the news EFE.

The information does not offer greater details on the areas of interest in Nicaragua, only that glide to extend their operations to this country, Curacao and Honduras.

“The Caribbean region is one of the areas of greater growth for Repsol YPF and plays a significant role in our explorations and global operations of production. We anticipate, in individual, an increase of the production in next the five years with Trinidad and Tobago”, says the information of EFE, mentioning to Ferdinando Rigardo, Regional Director of Repsol YPF.

The production in the region of the Caribbean represents the 19 percent of the total that produces Repsol, where has spent about to 3.000 million dollars in the last years and for next the five years it calculates a growth of the 20 percent in Trinidad and Tobago, country with the greater resources of the zone in petroleum and gas, according to the cablegráfica information.

Nicaragua signed the last year two contracts of exploration and oil operation with American company MKJ in two areas located in the marine platform of the Caribbean; one is located to 120 kilometers of Port Heads and the other to 170 kilometers of Bluefields.

The NEW NEWSPAPER consulted with the Spanish Official Camera of Commerce of Nicaragua and with the Embassy of Spain on the interest of Repsol to operate in Nicaragua, but it was not possible to obtain precise data on the subject.

Helper Miranda, member of the director of the Spanish Official Camera of Commerce of Nicaragua, said that she did not know the plans Repsol, although recognized that this Camera had some contacts with representatives of this company.

It said that the contacts with Repsol happened certain time ago, but that has subsequent to not received any information on the matter.

Also we tried to consult to civil employees of the Embassy of Spain in Nicaragua, but we did not manage to contact itself with the corresponding authorities.

According to information of Repsol in its Web site, to the 31 of December of 2005 the company had interests in exploration assets and production of petroleum and gas in 24 countries, directly or through its subsidiaries, being operator in 20 of them.

The company considers to continue growing to medium and long term in the reconnaissance area and production, mainly in the business of the liquefied natural gas, taking advantage of the profitable opportunities that offer the Caribbean, the Persian Gulf, North Africa, Peru, Gulf of Mexico, the United States and other regions of the world.