Special Report - Natural Gas in Latin America (ISSN 17414474)

Bolivia has the second-largest gas reserves in South America after Venezuela. Unlike Venezuela, gas is crucial to what happens to the country's economy. The past year, 2009, shows that the industry is resilient, although hydrocarbons was the only the sector of the economy that was still contracting in the third quarter. Output of oil and gas in the third quarter fell 12.8% year-on-year due to reduced Brazilian demand. The sector has also been affected by weaker oil and gas prices.