Guyana’s oil and gas sector represents a massive opportunity for the nation to kickstart its economy and diversify its energy mix as the world transitions away from fossil fuels.  A string of discoveries following ExxonMobil’s substantial find in the offshore Stabroek block in 2015 have put the country on the investment map. Since then, the country has pursued exploration activities and considerably raised its proven reserves, further underlining the country’s nascent potential.

To meet rising production and protect the South American country’s interests in its resources, the Ministry of the Presidency established the Department of Energy in August 2018 to oversee handing PSCs and enforce regulations in the development of the hydrocarbons industry. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have provided strong support for Guyana to establish clear policies and mechanisms to transfer knowhow to local entities and ensure sustainable growth.

The country plans to use funds gained through oil and gas sales to update its power generation sector and move away from reliance on bunker fuel and diesel, build associated infrastructure such as pipelines and refineries and foster a sustainable forestry sector based on the country’s heavily forested ecosystem. However, to diversify its economy, the country must first set down a feasible roadmap and policy framework to ensure its rich resources directly benefit the country and lead to maintainable development of industry.

Bolivia is the third largest producer of hydrocarbons and the largest producer and exporter of Natural Gas in South America. As of January 2016, the country has over 300 bcm (9.9 tcf) of gas reserves, while proved gas reserves have increased threefold since 1995.
Key hydrocarbons projects include the Incahuasi gas and condensates field in the Andean Cordillera foothills developed by Total, which is set to produce at a rate of 6.5 mcm (230 mcf) of natural gas and close to 6,000 bpd of condensate. Other key project includes Repsol’s Margarita-Huacava gasfield that has a production capacity of more than 19 mcm (670 mcf) per day straddling the Tarija and Chuquisaca provinces.

Over the last few years, several downstream and gas processing facilities have come online such as the Rio Grande and Gran Chaco liquids separation plant, or are being developed including the propylene and polypropylene plant, and the Bulo Bulo ammonia and urea facility. This is in response from the government’s efforts to diversify the country’s economy and decrease dependence on fuels imports.

The 2016-2020 National Economic and Social Development Plan approved by the current government aims to develop the country’s energy potential and infrastructure, by investing in exploration, industrialisation of natural gas activities and an increase in power generation.

The Oil & Gas Year Bolivia 2017 will delve into these issues. It is being produced in partnership with the Minister of Hydrocarbons & Energy and the Bolivian Chamber for Hydrocarbons and Energy (CBHE) For a comprehensive view of the Bolivian market see our business intelligence platform TOGYiN. TOGYiN features over forty profiles on companies and institutions active in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, and provides access to all our coverage and content, including our interviews with key players and industry leaders. TOGYiN currently covers thirty markets worldwide.

The USA ranks as the world’s largest producer of both crude oil and natural gas, with output driven by shale development that has reshaped global supply over the past decade. US crude production averaged a record 20.2 million bopd in 2024, with most growth coming from the Permian Basin, while dry natural gas production was more than 1 tcm (36.4 tcf), underpinning both domestic demand and rising exports.

The federal energy system is governed through a mix of national regulation, state-level jurisdiction and independent agencies, with the Department of Energy overseeing policy programmes and strategic initiatives, and market regulation spanning bodies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state public utility commissions.

The country is also the world’s largest LNG exporter, shipping an average of 115.2 bcm (4.07 tcf) in 2024, reflecting the scale of its gas resource base and liquefaction buildout along the Gulf Coast. As upstream production has expanded, midstream capacity – pipelines, storage and export terminals – has become a critical enabler, while permitting, local opposition and infrastructure bottlenecks continue to influence project timelines across regions.

The US energy transition policy is centred on economy-wide emissions targets, including a federal commitment to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. Deployment is being driven by a combination of tax incentives, grid investment and state renewables mandates, with the power sector increasingly shaped by rapid growth in wind, solar and storage alongside a large natural gas fleet and a stable nuclear base.

The implementation of Mexico’s Energy Reform in 2013–2014 marked a turning point for the country’s hydrocarbons sector. The reform reshaped Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), introduced new regulators and opened large parts of the oil and gas value chain to private and foreign investment. Between 2015 and 2018, Mexico carried out multiple licensing rounds and contract awards, and Pemex launched a farmout programme to bring in partners for technically complex or capital-intensive acreage.

However, the momentum of the reform slowed significantly from 2019 onwards as policy shifted toward strengthening the role of state companies. New competitive bid rounds were largely paused, Pemex’s farmout strategy was shelved and the government prioritised production from Pemex-operated areas while seeking to increase refining self-sufficiency. Recent reforms under President Claudia Sheinbaum have continued to emphasise the strategic role of Pemex and the state, while signalling scope for private participation through partnerships under revised rules.

Mexico’s greatest remaining exploration potential lies offshore, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, where large areas remain underexplored relative to the basin’s overall prospectivity. At the same time, one of the most important structural trends shaping the energy system is rising demand for natural gas, driven primarily by power generation and industry. Mexico has become increasingly dependent on US pipeline gas, and while the country has expanded its transportation network over the past decade, constraints in storage, redundancy and regional connectivity continue to create bottlenecks. CENAGAS operates the national integrated gas pipeline system, which stretches more than 10,000 kilometres.

Despite being a crude exporter, Mexico has long relied heavily on imported refined products. The government has sought to reduce this dependence through refinery rehabilitation and by building the Olmeca (Dos Bocas) refinery, a 340,000-bpd plant that has been ramping up operations through 2024 and 2025. Meanwhile, the downstream retail market has become more competitive since price liberalisation in 2017, with international brands and independent retailers entering the sector, even as Pemex remains the dominant player and government policy continues to influence pricing and supply dynamics.

Eagle Ford’s oil and gas industry has continued to rise in importance since 2008 when it became the world’s most active shale play, transforming the US’s position in the global energy mix. Since then, production has grown significantly. Eagle Ford accounts for a large share of Texas’ production along with producing fields on the state’s Permian Basin. Texas is the top oil and gas producer in the US, traditionally accounting for just under half of its oil production and a quarter of its natural gas production. The state is also the US’ highest consumer of petroleum products, with its industrial sector taking the lion’s share.

The Eagle Ford shale formation is located in Texas and forms an arc from the Mexican border to around 640 kilometres northeast of Houston and Austin. The 51,800-square-kilometre play is divided into three windows, with the northern section containing mostly crude oil, the central section containing mostly gas liquids such as ethane, propane and butane, and the southern section holding mostly natural gas deposits.

The region has attracted many E&P operators taking advantage of opportunities, with the largest players on the Eagle Ford formation being EOG Resources, ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil, Chesapeake Energy and China National Offshore Oil Corporation. Players have taken advantage of new horizontal drilling technologies to tap previously untouched plays, with more recoverable resources still untapped in the region.

Production from the Eagle Ford basin has given rise to the US’ largest cluster of oil refineries, predominantly located in ports along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, consisting of around a quarter of the nation’s oil refining capacity. Gas production has also seen a huge rise in LNG terminals in Texas, accounting for more than half of the country’s LNG export capacity and rising. Despite being a net LNG importer in the past, a large rise in LNG production has seen the US join the ranks as a top global LNG exporter along with Qatar and Australia.

Alongside its coastal marine exports, Texas also boasts a considerable gas pipeline network that pumps the resource across the state, into Mexico and towards the rest of the US. While gas enters Texas’ pipeline system from other states, a larger part of gas is exported, with almost three times more natural gas departing the state than entering.