Map of gas pipelines in South America

It has been said that the power of a state is closely linked to the control of energy flows. Perhaps there is no better embodiment of this expression than gas pipeline networks. Developed in South America since 1950, gas pipelines gradually reached cross-border routes in successive decades, but since the beginning of the century their development been moderate: large areas of the subcontinent remain energy "islands," reflecting the deficiencies that still sample in terms of regional integration.

The status well the case of a region with major gas producers that nevertheless lacks a comprehensive network gas pipelines to adequately meet the needs of all its neighbors in the hemisphere. Geographical difficulties, such as the Andes or the Amazon rainforest, complicate the business, but some projects in the pipeline point to certain improvements.

Viewing the map of gas pipelines—which is the contribution of this article, bringing together in a unified viewer information that is usually only available at the national level—can be useful for understanding the geopolitics of the region, as well as the possibilities for integration that it offers.

In 2020, the country with the largest proven natural gas reserves was Venezuela (221.1 trillion cubic feet), followed by Argentina (13.6) and Brazil (12.3). There are also significant reserves in Trinidad and Tobago (10.2), Peru (9.2), Bolivia (7.5), and Colombia (3). However, this order does not correspond to that of the largest natural gas producers on the continent, which according data 2023 data are Argentina (1,612 trillion BTU), Trinidad and Tobago (959), and Venezuela (916).

From a consumption perspective, natural gas accounts for 16.5% of energy in South America (2023). It is the primary source energy in Argentina (47.5% of energy consumed), Venezuela (59.4%), and Trinidad and Tobago (92%). Other countries with significant consumption are Bolivia (41.5%), Peru (39.4%), and Colombia (25.4%).

From an international trade perspective, there are three net exporters of natural gas: Trinidad and Tobago (379 billion cubic feet), Bolivia (276 billion), and Peru (172 billion). Among the importers, Brazil (224 billion cubic feet), Argentina (185 billion), and Chile (183 billion) stood out. These flows partially give rise to the region's network , contact countries with excess production with neighbors that need to cover their energy consumption needs with imports. Other flows, apart from gas pipelines, are developed through liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Description of the network

Argentina has the network complex network , both in terms of its extent and its length. The network follows in terms of length, but not in terms of extent, where Bolivia is also worth mentioning. Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, and Uruguay have a network limited network , although it is consistent with the areas of highest population density. The network is still restricted to the coast of Lima and Ica, while Ecuador, Suriname, and Paraguay do not have natural gas transport infrastructure.

In South America, there are two major gas transportation systems, which have hardly changed in the last twenty years. On the one hand, there is the Southern Cone system, which includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay; on the other, there is the Caribbean system, which includes Venezuela and Colombia. Trinidad and Tobago and Peru are isolated: their gas production exceeds their consumption needs, and exports are mainly carried out from their liquefaction infrastructure, using tankers that transport the gas, as LNG, to distant countries. In South America, there are two liquefaction terminals, while eight regasification terminals operate to introduce imported gas that arrives in liquefied form into the national consumption networks (Brazil has three; Argentina and Chile have two; and Colombia has one). Four other plants are planned: two in Brazil and one each in Colombia and Uruguay.

Three gas pipeline projects are particularly noteworthy. The first, given the uncertainty surrounding Bolivian natural gas production, involves reviving a project the 1990s: connecting Brazil with Argentina via the Uruguaina-Porto Alegre gas pipeline (GASUP). To this should be added the expansion of the Perito Moreno gas pipeline—formerly the Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline—to increase the capacity of gas sent to Uruguaiana from the Vaca Muerta field. Secondly, the completion of the Liza gas pipeline and the Wales terminal in Guyana, scheduled for 2026, will transform this country into a new powerhouse in natural gas production. Finally, Peru wants to further develop its internal network by building the Southern Peruvian Gas Pipeline. The project, whose construction has already begun, has progressed very slowly due to cases of corruption and an excessively rigid framework .