Peruvian gas pipeline to be fixed this weekend, Balcazar says

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): Peruvian President Jose Balcazar said on Tuesday ​that repairs to the country's main natural gas ‌pipeline should be finished on Friday, allowing natural gas supply to normalize this weekend and potentially bringing the country's ​worst energy crisis in two decades to a ​close.

Peru's Transportadora de Gas (TGP) has been working ⁠to repair the pipeline in Cusco's Megantoni district ​since early March, when its rupture triggered the government ​to impose sweeping emergency measures.

During a press conference, Balcazar added that the company expects natural gas supply to reopen on ​Saturday and for distribution to be normalized on ​Sunday.

The breakdown of TGP's pipeline, the backbone of the system that ‌supplies ⁠nearly half of Peru’s electricity and most of its LPG, has forced widespread gas rationing, pushing up energy prices and exposing long‑standing vulnerabilities in the ​Andean nation's energy ​system.

Balcazar said ⁠in-person classes for schools and universities would start back on Wednesday, after the government had ​announced virtual classes this week due to ​the ⁠rationing.

The crisis proved an early test for Balcazar, who was appointed in February after Congress ousted his ⁠predecessor. The ​country is set to hold ​presidential elections on April 12.

Courtesy: www.reuters.com