The Minister of Energy of Tierra del Fuego, Eng. Alejandro Aguirre confided this morning to Agenda Malvinas , that the oil consortium formed by Total Energy, Panamerican and Wintershal l has not yet informed the Executive Branch of Tierra del Fuego about the transfer of shares to the British Harbour Energy for the exploitation of the Fenix deposit in the Austral Marine Basin reported yesterday by the newspaper Clarín . However, he also said that they will not allow the share transfer announced by the newspaper Clarín , for failing to comply with Law 26.659.
The normative reference known as the “ Pino Solanas Law ” prohibits: 1. “Developing hydrocarbon activities on the Argentine Continental Shelf without having obtained the relevant authorization issued by the competent Argentine authority”; 2. “Having direct or indirect participation in legal persons, national or foreign, that develop hydrocarbon activities on the Argentine Continental Shelf without having obtained the relevant authorization issued by the competent Argentine authority, or that provide services for such developments”; 3. "Contracting and/or carrying out hydrocarbon activities, transactions, acts of commerce, economic, financial, logistical, technical operations, consulting and/or advisory activities, whether for a fee or free of charge, with individuals or legal entities, national or foreign, to carry out hydrocarbon activities on the Argentine Continental Shelf without having obtained the relevant authorization issued by the competent Argentine authority"; as is the case of Harbour Energy , who between 2010 and 2021 carried out exploration of an oil area in the Malvina Islands, with an illegal British license.
Specifically, Aguirre stated that the member companies of the consortium “must officially communicate the transfer of these rights. The next step is for the executive to approve or not the transfer.” Citing as an example, “previous cases”; such as the formation of “UTE Roch,” which was first “approved by the executive and then by the legislature.”
When asked if there had been any changes since February, when he had told Agenda Malvinas that the Executive Branch of Tierra del Fuego was not going to authorize the transfer of shares from Wintershall Dea Argentina to Harbour Energy , the minister reiterated: “This will not be approved by the Executive Branch.”
More concisely, Governor Gustavo Melella responded to Agenda Malvinas that “they have already taken and are going to take” shares to prevent the transfer of shares from taking place. And although he did not say which were those shares or which are pending; he said that “ The issue is not simple, because every measure affects Vega Playade, the main source of royalties for the Province, and RB bonds are stuck there.”
