Attack on gas pipeline in Bolivia reduces supply to Brazil
11/9/2008 17:43
An attack on a gas pipeline in south Bolivia has slashed the country's
natural gas exports to Brazil by 10 percent, news reports from La Paz,
administrative capital of Bolivia, said yesterday.
The attack, which took
place yesterday, was organized by opposition forces who started a wave of
protests in the east and south of the country, Santos Ramirez, president of the
state-owned Yacimientos Petrolifers Fiscales Bolivianos, was quoted as
saying.
The explosion shut off one gas main in the south of Bolivia, mainly
affecting supply to Brazil.
Earlier reports said the explosion had resulted
in a reduction of 27 to 30 million cubic meters per day in supplies to Brazil,
causing a daily loss of US$8 million.
The explosion destroyed the pipeline
between the San Alberto and San Antonio fields. The line carries most of the gas
for Brazilian city Sao Paulo.
Bolivia will have to pay US$100 million for
repair work, which will last between 15 to 20 days, and the fines paid to Brazil
for the supply reduction.
However, Ramirez said that these expenses must be
paid out of the budgets of the prefectures and the opposition civic committees,
who have been stirring up protests against the national government in the south
of the country for more than two weeks.
Xinhua
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