Prospects for Energy Resource Development in Latin America

In many Latin American countries, governments are seeking to take advantage of abundant energy resources to strengthen economic development. Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, has proposed new measures to facilitate investment in the country’s vast offshore oil reserves, including changes to contract terms for pre-salt oil blocks. In Colombia, the government of President Iván Duque has vowed to boost investment in oil exploration. He created a committee of experts that made recommendations on hydraulic fracturing in the country. In Guyana, a series of oil discoveries since 2015 has propelled the country into one of the top 25 oil-reserve holders, with commercial production expected to begin in 2020. Yet, developing energy resources in these countries poses an array of challenges. Regulatory bodies, for example, have to design terms for licensing rounds and effectively manage environmental and social impacts. What are the prospects for developing these resources and what are the key challenges for regulators?

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Agenda

9:15am – 9:30am		Registration
9:30am – 9:35am		Opening remarks
		Michael Shifter, President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)
9:35am – 10:20am		Outlook for Colombia’s Oil sector
		Speakers	Diego Mesa, Vice Minister of Energy, Colombia (@ViceEnergia)
			Luis Miguel Morelli, President, National Hydrocarbons Agency, Colombia (@lmmorelli)
		Moderator	Lisa Viscidi, Program Director, Energy, Climate Change & Extractive Industries, Inter-American Dialogue (@lviscidi)
10:20am – 11:00am		Above-ground challenges: Local communities, Environmental Impacts, and Revenue Management
		Speakers	Julie Evans, Environmental and Social Manager, Americas Region, RINA Consulting
			Lenin Balza, Economist, Extractive Sector Initiative, Inter-American Development Bank (@balzalh)
			David Mares, Professor of Political Science, University of California, San Diego
		Moderator	Lisa Viscidi, Program Director, Energy, Climate Change & Extractive Industries, Inter-American Dialogue (@lviscidi)

Energy & Resources Committee Members