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Pampa Energia
announced that, through its subsidiaries Petrolera Pampa
and Central Termica Loma de la Lata, it has executed a
letter of intent with Apache Energia Argentina S.R.L.
("Apache") to jointly engage in the development and
exploitation of non-conventional gas reservoirs, and an
irrevocable bid for the purchase of natural gas within
the framework of the Gas Plus program launched by the
Argentine Government.
The partnership with Apache would allow the production
of an additional 700,000 m3/day of non conventional
natural gas, from reservoirs with low permeability, at
the Anticlinal Campamento and Estacion Fernandez Oro
areas in the provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro. Pampa
would have a 15% participation in the necessary
investments for the development of this gas production,
estimated to be approximately US $8,000,000, allowing
Pampa to obtain its proportional participation in the
production. All of this additional production will be
assigned to supply Loma de la Lata's gas needs.
Simultaneously, Pampa signed an irrevocable bid for the
acquisition of 800,000 m3/day of Gas Plus from Apache
for a three year period, seeking also to ensure the gas
supply required by Loma de la Lata. The agreed upon
price for the Gas Plus, authorized by the Secretariat of
Energy, is US $5.00/MMBtu.
In this manner, once the definitive investment terms are
reached, Pampa would be in a position to ensure
approximately 60% of the provision of gas for Loma de la
Lata.
These initiatives that we undertake together with
Apache, aimed at ensuring the supply of gas for the Loma
de la Lata thermal station, come on top of the agreement
executed between Pampa and YPF in November 2009 whereby
Pampa agreed to invest up to US $29,000,000 in the
Rincon del Mangrullo field in the province of Neuquen
and that would allow Pampa to supply 11% of the
consumption of Loma de la Lata.
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