The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) says that while while Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has a strong production base capable of meeting a significant share of its natural gas needs, regional trade integration remains uneven.
“Against a backdrop of heightened global geopolitical uncertainty, accelerating energy interconnections, cross-border infrastructure and intraregional trade agreements will be critical to strengthening the region’s long-term energy security,” the organisation said in its latest monthly Oil and Natural Gas Report for the LAC.
According to the report Latin America and the Caribbean maintained momentum in its hydrocarbons sector in April 2026, with regional oil production reaching 318 million barrels (Mbbl), up 10 per cent from the same month a year earlier.
OLACDE said the data show that intraregional supply accounts for 54 per cent of the value of the region’s oil imports and that the bulk of exportable production as high as 79 per cent is shipped to major global consumption markets, with only 21 per cent remaining within intraregional trade flows.
It said regional natural gas production reached 21.7 billion m³, representing an 8.5 per cent year-on-year increase. This growth strengthens energy security, with more than 70 per cent of all natural gas produced in Latin America and the Caribbean consumed within the region itself.
According to OLACDE, five countries account for 80per cent of the region’s natural gas supply. They are Argentina and Trinidad and Tobago with 22 per cent each, Brazil 14 per cent, Bolivia 12 per cent and Mexico: 10 per cent.
“However, to meet demand beyond what can be supplied by domestic production, countries in the region continue to rely on international purchases. Around 65 per cent of imported natural gas comes from suppliers outside the region, while only 35 per cent is sourced from neighboring Latin American and Caribbean countries,” OLACDE said. (CMC)
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