The document provides an overview of oil and natural gas production and foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) during 2025, highlighting the main regional trends and long-term outlooks.
In 2025, LAC accounted for approximately 11% of global oil production and nearly 6% of natural gas production. Regional hydrocarbon production is mainly concentrated in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Guyana, and Ecuador, which together represent 87% of regional production.
Oil production in the region grew by 20% compared to 2024, driven especially by the strong growth of Guyana and Brazil’s continued leadership as the region’s main producer. Around 46% of oil production was allocated to exports. In terms of trade, oil imports showed a significant intraregional share of 45%, while exports were mainly directed to China (31%), the United States (18%), and the European Union (15%). This pattern reflects LAC’s increasing integration with Asian markets.
In the case of natural gas, regional production increased by 10% compared to 2024, with Argentina and Mexico remaining the leading producers. Approximately 16% of production was allocated to exports, while imports were mainly used to supply electricity generation and industrial consumption in non-producing countries.
Foreign trade in natural gas showed a high dependence on extra-regional supplies, particularly from the United States, which accounted for 59% of regional imports, mainly due to flows to Mexico. Trinidad and Tobago stood out as a strategic intraregional supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG). On the export side, 39% was destined for Turkey, corresponding to shipments from Brazil, 36% to intraregional trade, and 24% to Asian markets excluding China.
OLACDE’s long-term projections indicate that, despite the progress of electrification and renewable energy, oil and natural gas will continue to play an important role in the LAC energy matrix over the coming decades. Both energy sources are expected to maintain shares close to 26% in the regional primary energy matrix, while natural gas will continue to hold a significant share in electricity generation.
