The project paralysis originated in April 2012 due to social conflicts mainly in the Bahía de Sechura region, formally declared a “force majeure” event. However, the Contraloría General de la República’s February 2026 audit revealed no substantial efforts by Perupetro or the operator to foster constructive dialogue among company representatives, local communities, and authorities. The absence of proactive conflict management measures has perpetuated inactivity, questioning the sustained classification of the disruption as “force majeure.”
The inability to advance exploitation translates into lost opportunities for energy resource development and foregone fiscal revenues essential for the Peruvian government. Contraloría’s report calls on Perupetro’s leadership to implement preventive and corrective actions to comply with contractual and public interest objectives. It also requires reporting to institutional control bodies supporting transparency and accountability.
The continued stagnation restricts Peru’s natural gas supply diversification and economic benefits from hydrocarbon assets at a strategic northern coastal location, weakening national energy strategy and investor confidence in timely project execution and conflict resolution.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
