CEO Jorge Hijjar stressed the pipeline operator’s role as a regional integrator that is boosting Brazil’s natural gas transportation market. 

The Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline operator TBG participated in the fourth edition of Brazil’s Gas & Energy Week, which took place between August 5 and 7 at Prodigy Santos Dumont Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. This year, the event reaffirmed its commitment to the energy transition, positioning natural gas as a key fuel for a low-carbon future. New energy sources such as biogas, biomethane and hydrogen were also discussed, together with the supply and demand policies and legal frameworks that are shaping the country’s energy landscape.

TBG’s CEO, Jorge Hijjar, spoke on a panel called “Gas Supply, Production, Effective Supply, Regional Integration and Storage.” He highlighted the company’s crucial role in promoting Brazil’s natural gas transportation sector and discussed the opportunities and challenges for importing Argentine gas competitively.

“TBG is spearheading natural gas integration across the Southern Cone. Therefore, regardless of the route used to import gas from the Vaca Muerta formation, TBG is the company that will transport it to the Brazilian market. We had a test run in the summer, which showed it is possible for Argentine gas to reach Brazil in sufficient volumes, but so far only intermittently. However, we have conducted more studies and concluded that it is possible for Argentine gas to arrive on a steady basis as well. This will require investment. So, it is essential to have contracts in place to support and enable pipeline investments and to ensure that the gas arrives at a competitive price,” Hijjar said.

The topics covered in the panel included the balance between production and supply; the current stage of discussions on gas release and prospects for the sector; Vaca Muerta and expectations for steady imports of Argentine gas; the outlook for Bolivian gas supplies to Brazil; infrastructure expansion and incentives to increase supply; and technological innovations aimed at improving efficiency and supply in the sector.

The session was moderated by Anelise Lara, a board member of Total Energies, Trident Energy and Vale. The other speakers were Claudia Brun, vice president for strategy and business development at Equinor; Tatiana Lemos, origination and trading director at EDGE; Samir Awad, sales director at PPSA; Thiago Arakaki, Galp’s natural gas director; and Rafael Ribeiro, executive manager for gas and electricity at Brava.

TBG was one of the premium sponsors of the fourth edition of Gas & Energy Week – an event of great importance to the Brazilian natural gas sector. The annual meeting serves as a forum where technical knowledge is transformed into business strategies, driving the sector forward with high-level content in order to boost the energy transition and unlock natural gas’ full potential in the country.