LatinNews Daily - 18 July 2025

*Bolivia’s state hydrocarbons company, Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), has said that three new wells at its Churumas gas field, two of which began operations on 10 June, will produce over 20m cubic feet of natural gas per day and generate over US$813m in state revenue over their lifespan, which is expected to exceed 20 years. Located in Aniceto Arce province, in the southern department of Tarija, the Churumas field contains an estimated 230tn cubic feet of gas, according to a 2023 study by YPFB. Inspecting the site yesterday, President Luis Arce said that the gas field’s development “is a clear sign that we are correcting the mistakes of the past” – an allusion to his estranged predecessor Evo Morales (2006-2019), whom Arce has accused of reaping the proceeds of a gas windfall while failing to invest in new exploration projects. Natural gas production has fallen sharply in recent years and this hit to a key source of foreign exchange has had knock-on effects in other areas of the economy, contributing to shortages of imported fuel and US dollars.

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