Matthew Smith

Latest articles from Matthew

• Suriname’s Resource Boom is Back on Track With First Oil Targeted for 2028

  Published 22 April 2024 | viewed 5,165 times

  Former Dutch colony Suriname shares the offshore Guyana Suriname Basin with the former British colony of Guyana, which is reaping a massive economic windfall from one of…

• Ecopetrol, Guerillas and Death Squads: The War for Colombia’s Oil

  Published 04 April 2024 | viewed 1,983 times

  Colombia’s national oil company Ecopetrol, regarded as one of the best-managed state-controlled energy companies in Latin America, is still dealing with allegations of murder, extortion,…

• Oil Riches Fuel Heated Dispute Between Venezuela and Guyana

  Published 04 March 2024 | viewed 3,568 times

  Squabbling between Venezuela and South America’s newest oil-producing nation Guyana over the resource-rich Essequibo region is heating up once again. The more than century-long quarrel centers…

• A Tumultuous Year for South America’s Oil Industry

  Published 19 February 2024 | viewed 2,612 times

  Last year, 2023, was a tumultuous period for South America’s oil industry. Increased recognition of climate change saw regional governments push to reduce emissions and…

• Ecuador on the Brink: Spiraling Violence Threatens National Stability

  Published 05 February 2024 | viewed 3,357 times

  Ecuador, a tiny South American country of around 18 million, stands on the precipice of disaster. The Andean country, once considered an island of peace…

• Argentina's Oil Revolution: Vaca Muerta Shale Fuels Economic Hope

  Published 12 January 2024 | viewed 8,903 times

  For a decade, Argentina’s governments have viewed the 7.5-million-acre Vaca Muerta, or Dead Cow, shale formation as an economic silver bullet. Since President Cristina de Kirchner…

• Argentina’s New President Plans Controversial Economic Overhaul

  Published 04 January 2024 | viewed 2,625 times

  In a shocking development, political outsider Javier Milei won Argentina’s November 2023 presidential election, taking 56% of the vote, with leftist opponent Sergio Massa receiving 44%. The television…

• Brazil’s Invitation to Join OPEC+ Highlights the Importance of Its Oil Boom

  Published 14 December 2023 | viewed 7,886 times

  In a shock development, Latin American energy giant Brazil announced it will join the OPEC+ group of oil-producing countries, including some of the world’s biggest…

• Why Venezuela Is Escalating the Essequibo Dispute

  Published 13 December 2023 | viewed 3,236 times

  The more than century-long dispute over the resource-rich Essequibo region in Guyana has intensified. Venezuela’s autocratic President Nicolas Maduro asserts, in one of the few…

• Suriname Prepares for South America’s Next Big Oil Boom

  Published 07 December 2023 | viewed 5,714 times

  After grappling with a lengthy political and economic crisis the government of Suriname pinned hopes of an economic recovery on a massive offshore oil boom.…

• South America’s Offshore Oil Boom Will Challenge OPEC’s Dominance

  Published 29 November 2023 | viewed 40,007 times

  In Guyana’s territorial waters, after Exxon’s swathe of world-class petroleum discoveries, gigantic ships called floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels are sucking crude oil…

• Colombia’s Cocaine Boom Is Fueling An Unprecedented Spike In Oil Theft

  Published 13 November 2023 | viewed 4,655 times

  Colombia has a severe problem, cocaine. The South American country is the world’s largest producer of the narcotic, and it continues setting record highs for the cultivation…

• Can Ecuador’s New President End The Security Crisis And Rebuild The Economy?

  Published 21 October 2023 | viewed 2,857 times

  In a surprise development, center-right businessman Daniel Noboa defeated leftist lawyer Luisa González last Sunday to become Ecuador’s youngest-ever president. The election, triggered by incumbent…

• Can Guyana Avoid The Resource Curse?

  Published 18 October 2023 | viewed 4,510 times

  Guyana has emerged as one of the world’s most exciting offshore oil plays. In a mere eight years, the tiny South American country of less…

• Record Cocaine Production Impacts Colombia’s Oil Industry

  Published 12 October 2023 | viewed 6,521 times

  Colombia’s cocaine production continues to soar ever higher. For the fourth year straight, the United Nations Office on Drugs And Crime (UNODC) reported that Colombia’s 2022…

• Venezuela’s Growing Dark Fleet Highlights Maduro’s Dependence On Iran

  Published 11 October 2023 | viewed 3,508 times

  Venezuela is deploying a secret weapon to defeat strict U.S. sanctions aimed at blocking the OPEC member’s economically crucial crude oil exports, a dark fleet…

• Maduro’s Sabre Rattling Reignites The Venezuela-Guyana Border Dispute

  Published 08 October 2023 | viewed 6,264 times

  Tensions over a long-running border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana are flaring once again. The decades-long squabble originates from Venezuela’s claim over the Essequibo, a…

• Argentina’s Oil Production Surges As Political Instability Soars

  Published 05 October 2023 | viewed 5,800 times

  The exploitation of South America’s largest shale formation the Vaca Muerta, which is the size of Belgium, continues delivering impressive results at a crucial time…

• Oil Dethroned? Cocaine Close To Becoming Colombia's Top Export

  Published 27 September 2023 | viewed 5,911 times

   A controversial article from news conglomerate Bloomberg claims that cocaine is poised to overtake oil and become Colombia’s largest export. This worrying report came on the heels…

• Suriname’s Oil Boom Finally Gets The Green Light

  Published 26 September 2023 | viewed 16,499 times

  After a flurry of oil discoveries in Suriname’s offshore waters since 2020, it was believed the impoverished former Dutch colony, among the poorest countries in…