CAPITAL: Lisbon
MONETARY UNIT: Escudo
REFINING CAPACITY: 304,300 b/cd
OIL PRODUCTION: 0
OIL RESERVES: 0
GAS RESERVES: 0
The privatization of Portugal`s future energy holding company, incorporating GDP-Transgas and Petrogal, was due by 2000.
Economy Minister Joaquim Pina Moura said the new operator could establish a strategic partnership with a Spanish operator.
The energy holding company had been initially valued at 400-450 billion escudos ($2.4-2.65 billion).
The government said it would form a holding company that would control Petrogal and Gas de Portugal to build international alliances and prepare the sale of the holding company`s shares to the public.
The government decided to allow Transgas to build Portugal`s first LNG terminal in Sines. The terminal would cost about $263 million and feed the nation`s recently built natural gas grid.
Transgas was to buy 350 million cu m/year of Nigerian LNG, beginning in 1999 and lasting until 2021.
The shipments would go to Huelva in southern Spain until Portugal completed its own receiving terminal.

