Analysis

Reviving Venezuela’s Oil Sector: The Role of Western Oil Majors

With Venezuela’s state oil company in disarray, international oil companies will be the key to tapping the country’s oil resources. The Inter-American Dialogue interviewed eight large Western oil companies about the conditions that will determine how rapidly, and to what degree, they start or ramp up operations in Venezuela following a political transition.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

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Political Risk Analysis: What’s Ahead For Mexico’s Renewable Energy Industry?

Until recently Mexico stood out within Latin America as a top potential producer of wind and solar energy, but policies under the López Obrador administration have made the climate for renewable energy investment increasingly hostile. Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy Program, and Sarah Phillips, program assistant, sat down with Nathaniel Parish Flannery of Forbes to discuss what’s ahead for Mexico’s renewable resource sector.

Lisa Viscidi, Sarah Phillips, Nathaniel Parish Flannery

Interviews ˙ ˙ Forbes

Venezuelan flag Video

Can Western companies save Venezuela’s oil sector? Do they want to?

Lisa Viscidi and Nate Graham spoke with S&P Global Platts about the findings of a new report which argues that Western oil companies will be needed to revive Venezuela’s oil sector. They discuss the obstacles that could affect whether these firms increase production in the country under a new government, including US sanctions uncertainty, high taxes, and a shortage of workers and working infrastructure.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham, Brian Scheid, Meghan Gordon

Interviews ˙ ˙ S&P Global Platts

Report Cover for Electrified Islands

Electrified Islands: The Road to E-Mobility in the Caribbean

Caribbean islands are in many ways ideal markets for electric vehicles, and several Caribbean jurisdictions have made significant advances in promoting electric mobility. Examining five case studies—Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic—this report identifies the key challenges and recommends actions that Caribbean governments and other stakeholders can take to stimulate EV adoption.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham, Marcelino Madrigal, Malaika Masson, Veronica R. Prado, Juan Cruz Monticelli

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PDVSA gas station in Venezuela

Can Venezuela’s Oil Industry Ever Recover?

Once a major OPEC producer, Venezuela has witnessed a spectacular fall in oil production over the last 20 years under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. In 2019, U.S. sanctions hastened this decline. Will Venezuela ever reclaim its place as a top oil producer?

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Houston Chronicle

Video

Impacts of Politics and Oil Price Collapse on South America’s Smaller and Emerging Producers

Political changes are shaping the outlook in many of South America’s smaller and emerging oil and gas producers, including Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. At a webinar co-hosted by the Inter-American Dialogue and the National Capital Area Chapter of the United States Association for Energy Economics (NCAC-USAEE), panelists discussed how political developments and the oil price decline are likely to impact producers in the region.

Sarah Phillips

Event Summaries ˙

Power lines in wetlands

Countering China through Infrastructure Investments

The US has introduced several measures to facilitate energy & infrastructure investment in Latin America. However, the impact will likely be constrained by the challenging investment environment in many Latin American countries, demonstrating the limitations for the US in competing with China’s centralized economic model.

Lisa Viscidi, Sarah Phillips

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Global Americans

camila ramos mauricio cardenas jose zapata lisa viscidi pandemic oil price collapse latin america covid-19 Video

Examining Implications of Covid-19 and Low Oil Prices for Latin American Energy

The recent oil price collapse, combined with the economic contraction resulting from measures to fight the global Covid-19 pandemic, will have extensive and largely unforetold impacts for Latin American energy markets and beyond. These implications include cuts to investment and delays to ongoing projects in both oil & gas and renewable energy, fiscal and broader economic constraints, and legal disputes, said panelists during a webinar held on April 1. 

Nate Graham

Event Summaries ˙

Report Cover for Latin American State Oil Companies and Climate Change

Latin American State Oil Companies and Climate Change: Decarbonization Strategies and Role in the Energy Transition

Latin American national oil companies (NOCs) have made important advances in slashing emissions from their operations through techniques such as reducing flaring, improving energy efficiency, and injecting CO2 for enhanced oil recovery, according to a new report by the Inter-American Dialogue and the Inter-American Development Bank. Yet, progress in producing lower carbon energy sources for consumers has been sluggish, no Latin American NOC has committed to net zero emissions, and for some companies emissions are on the rise, the report finds.

Lisa Viscidi, Sarah Phillips, Paola Carvajal, Carlos Sucre

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Natural gas pipeline

Q&A with Lisa Viscidi on Mexico’s Natural Gas Market Development

Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy, Climate Change & Extractive Industries Program, spoke with Natural Gas Intelligence’s Adam Williams about recent regulatory changes to Mexico’s energy sector and how they are impacting the country’s natural gas market. They discuss obstacles that could affect the country’s energy sovereignty, investment opportunities, natural gas imports from the United States, and concerns surrounding political risk in the sector.

Lisa Viscidi, Adam Williams

Interviews ˙ ˙ Natural Gas Intelligence