Bolivia retakes natural gas pipeline

energy

YACUIBA, Bolivia - The military retook control of a natural gas pipeline to Argentina after days of violent protests at gas installations in southern Bolivia, the government said late Friday.

of Royal Dutch Shell. Protesters broke windows, set fire to two company cars, and threatened to shut off gas deliveries to Argentina.

The protest never shut off the flow, but the government had said Friday that it was preparing to temporarily reduce its natural gas exports to Argentina by about 75 percent and slightly decrease shipments to Brazil due to the protests, at an estimated loss of $1 million a day.

That measure became unnecessary after Friday's retaking of the control station, the government said. Defense Minister Walker San Miguel said troops and police were guarding all energy installations in southern Bolivia.

Neighboring provinces within Bolivia's gas-rich southern state of Tarija dispute ownership of the Margarita field, still in its exploration and development stage but potentially one of the country's largest. Each is demanding a larger share of the field's eventual royalties

The disturbances killed at least one person and wounded dozens more.

The Spanish-Argentine company Repsol YPF holds a majority stake in the Margarita field, with the British company BG Group and Argentine company Pan American Energy each owning a minority interest.

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