New Gas Discovery Brings Optimism for Bolivia's Energy Future

Bolivia’s announcement last week of a sizeable gas discovery has stoked optimism that the landlocked South American nation can arrest declining production and boost reserves, although further exploration work is needed to assess reservoir potential, with a prognosed fast-track development in as little as two years appearing optimistic. State player YPFB last week announced successful completion of its stratigraphic research well, Mayaya Centro-X1 IE, which it said hit a significant hydrocarbon volume equivalent to around 1.7 trillion cubic…