President Alan Garcia confirmed on Friday the discovery of 1.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Block 58, located north of the Camisea gas fields in Cuzco region, Radioprogramas reported.
The finding was made by Brazilian state oil company Petrobras.
“God has blessed the homeland,” Garcia said. “Yesterday, the Nobel Prize [for Mario Vargas Llosa] and today the official confirmation that in Block 58, north of Camisea, they have proven the existence of almost 2 trillion cubic feet in the first two drilled wells.”
Petrobras is planning to drill a total of six wells, Garcia said.
The finding will provide 300 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to Peru’s southern regions over the next 20 years. Results from the other four wells “will allow us to multiply the figures, as the technicians have said, to 5 trillion [cubic feet],” he added.
Peru’s Mines and Energy Minister Pedro Sanchez said the discovery will allow the country to meet its internal demand.
“This is an important announcement for Peru in terms of energy,” Sanchez said. “It allows us to cover [consumption in Peru]. We have guaranteed the growth in demand in the internal market.”
Peru’s southern regions have seen protests this year over plans to export natural gas. Protesters were concerned that there would not be enough natural gas to meet internal demand.
