The president of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otarolapointed out that according to the law, the State has two options to dispose of the Talara lots and one of them is by direct negotiation, which is why Petroperú could operate these lots. In addition to this, he said that article 66 of the Constitution of Peru establishes that the State is sovereign in the use of its natural resources.
“The Government has clearly said that here we are facing a situation in which the contracts for three lots are about to expire. And that the law has two options, by direct negotiation, Perupetro can direct these lots, or by call. Personally, I am of the idea of calling for an open and broad tender, but without forgetting that article 66 of the Constitution has an obligation for all of us in the Government. It indicates that the State is sovereign in the use of its natural resources,” he explained the prime minister during an interview on ‘Fourth Estate’.
Regarding the intention of the Congress of the Republic to censure the Minister of Energy and Mines, Óscar Vera, for expressing his support for Petroperú, Otárola said that This request is not in accordance with the constitutional canons and requested a “reflection” on the part of Parliament.
He added that in Lot VI, the extraction of a barrel of oil costs US$40 —US$20 for operating expenses and US$20 for royalties and taxes—, while the international price is US$85, 50% more, and is the price that Petroperú pays to the private sector, therefore, “it is an important business.”
Finally, the prime minister announced that the US$1.5 billion financing that the state company had requested to mitigate the risks of a possible fuel shortage will not be given, since the Government’s priority today is to direct these funds to the attention of El Global Child. It is worth remembering that Pedro Chira, president of the Petroperú board of directors, He announced that if the request is denied, they have other mechanisms to deal with the situation.
Source: Larepublica
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