Óscar Vera: “100% of the Talara lots must be for Petroperú, it is the position of the Government”

With political support from the highest levels, there is a possibility that Petroperú will return to vertical integration, according to the minister oscar vera. Add that The production of low sulfur fuels in Talara will also immediately give important margins to the state oil company.

— How do you plan to relaunch the oil sector?

— We are at a very interesting stage. On the one hand, the Talara refinery is starting up the desulfurization units, which will begin to produce this week both low-sulfur naphtha (established in the fuel standard for this year) and 50 parts per million gasoline and diesel which is currently imported. This will allow us to no longer import and will substantially improve Petroperú’s cash flow.

— However, some question the business capacity of Petroperú.

— Few know the real function it fulfills Petroperu in the country. Now that the audit has been completed, the banks -including international ones- have begun to open the accounts and we are in a better position, but this will be solved when the refinery starts producing, which is what is happening at the moment .

— Will the Talara lots whose contracts are about to expire go to Petroperú?

— In that sense we are aiming, when I said that the most appropriate circumstances exist at this moment. By coincidence, Talara’s contracts are coming to an end, and we hope that those lots return as they belonged to him. Because most of the lots are production, they are like a going concern, they do not require major investment. Currently, the margins in the production part are very high, I understand that is why the companies that today have those lots are holding on, despite the fact that they did not make the investments that they should have made along the way.

— What you mention is contrary to the announced tender that Perupetro wants to do for these lots.

— We have asked Perupetro that they review what they were handling because, definitely, I believe, that Peru benefits the most if those profits remain in the country. Although it is true, there may be offers, but in the end there is a profit and, I believe, that this should remain in Peru. And if it is in Petroperú, much better, because those margins can help to have more competitive fuel prices, which would also make the competition align with us.

— I insist, what could ensure this if the board of directors, outside of Mrs. Isabel Tafur, is made up of officials from the previous government?

— We have already had meetings with Petroperú and Perupetro and, precisely, we have talked about these issues and we are aligned in thinking that Peru is first. I believe that the contracts that are going to go out to tender, or what Perupetro is going to propose, will take into account the interest of the country, which is that Petroperú is the first company with the option of taking the contracts.

— Regarding the scheme of these Northwest contracts, there was talk of mixed schemes.

— With the knowledge of the President of the Republic, we think that 100% (of the lots) should be for Petroperú, it is our position of Government. These production contracts are managed with services that they provide to all companies, so it’s a very simple matter. You just resume the services and continue. It is probable that there are some lots that require some investment by the State, that they are leaving them and a partner is required, but that will already be the management of Petroperú. They will already see the best way, but Petroperú would have the lot and they would see how they handle it.

Massification of natural gas

— Regarding the aggressive plan to massify gas that you announced, when you talk about retaking seven regions, are you referring to the plan that failed in Proinversión or just taking over the block with a new model?

— I was referring to the regions to which we are going to arrive. Our idea is to reactivate the southern gas pipeline to be able to initially reach the entire south, which is the most depressed area of ​​the country, with the studies we have. There are points where they are only to start the connections, such as Ucayali or Ayacucho.

— The construction of 1,000 km of pipelines in the national territory has been announced.

— We already have the money for the 1,000 km and, practically, it is to continue with the project that has been truncated. It is something that can be executed quickly, we are probably coordinating with the regional governments, and the technical team is going to define the fastest way to make it viable. We are dusting off these projects and we want them to be carried out this year. President Boluarte has asked us for gas to reach Peruvians this year and for that we have around S/460 million that the MEF has given us (through FISE and Law 679). On the south side, Cusco, Puno, Apurimac, Huancavelica, Ayacucho and Junín we have S/800 million at this time. Precisely, now there is a law that has been working with the Congresswhich will make it possible to secure the other funds for the continuity of the project.

— You are referring to the approval of PL 679. Have you been satisfied with the opinion?

— No. This week we have had a meeting with the commission, clarifying some aspects, I think we have ended up agreeing and they have better understood the proposal we made. We hope that the congressmen implement (the recommendations) in this new call that they are going to make.

— But, minister, the issue of the gas pipeline is a hot potato because there is a legal issue. How do you plan to relaunch it?

— This is a legal problem that can last many years and if we include it in the project, we do nothing. So it will stay aside, it will continue its process. We are not going to take pipes into account, because it is a separate topic. We are going to continue the project, probably on the operation that was already built. But that is a topic that we are looking at with the team, the idea is that it be done and if we have to include it later, we will; if we have to do it over the previous one, we will do it; and if we have to pay something, it will be paid.

— What is the goal of home overcrowding for 2023?

With the money we have right now, we were talking about 110,000 connections on the coast from Piura to Ica. Then we are going to go to Piura and Ica, which is to expand what is already available. The same in the southern part of the country, with the S/800 million that the MEF has given us, we are going to reach, I estimate, some 140,000 more families. With what we already had, we want to reach 2.5 million this year. If the law passes, we could think of much more.