#Panama - Following concerns raised by the residents of Bella Vista over plans to renovate the Urraca Park, Deputy Jose Isabel Blandon, announced on Monday the details of the new changes. The remodeling consists of a new design for the area, because the ground level will rise, there will be a drainage system, and there will be a new fountain constructed to replace the gazebo which is currently in the middle of the park. The new design will cost $ 4.8 million, and it includes designated areas for both children and senior citizens. These renovations will not affect the baseball field, no trees will be cut, and there will not be any underground parking. Soon there will be a meeting with the inhabitants of the are to let them know about the project design, and to explain the renovations. Only one company participated in the public bidding process to build this new park, by the Comptroller's office still has to review and uphold the award of the contract. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: Boy, is Panama swimming in money, or what. They are spending $4.8 million dollars to "renovate" a park and it's basically just a face lift. In the meantime, in the United States they're cutting cops and firemen and nurses because of shrinking budgets. Stark contrast.

#Panama - The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) decided to pave the streets of the country, favoring one company of a relative of Minister Federico José Suárez. The company Almacenadora Nacional, owned by Ricardo Suarez Sogo, the Minister's uncle, won the contract for $6.47 million dollars to pave the streets of La Chorrera, Capira, and Coronado. Suarez Sogo said he's been working with the MOP for more than 20 years. Contracts under the $76 million project called "Paving the City" were awarded to several companies, in almost equal parts. (Prensa)

Because of repair work required on a distribution pipe, the Institute of National Water and Sewerage Friday suspended the water supply to the neighborhoods of Brisas del Golf, Colinas del Golf, Quintas de Monticello, Brisas del Pacífico and Brisas de Occidente. Water service was turned off a 8:00 am this morning and will be turned back on by 4:00 pm this afternoon. (Telemetro)

#Panama - The Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) will suspend water service to the sectors of El Chorrillo, San Felipe, Santa Ana and Casco Viejo this Thursday, October 20, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. They have to turn off the water service in order to replace some old values that have been in place for decades, that do not allow them to make controlled shut downs of smaller areas when there are broken water pipes in the area. The IDAAN calls to the affected population to take the necessary measures. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: There's a large water pipe broken somewhere in Casco Viejo, and so far the IDAAN has not been able to figure out where the break is. This changing of valves is apparently a preliminary step that will allow them to isolate are repair the broken pipe.

#Panama - Damage to one of the main turbine pumps from the outlet of the river La Villa, keeps the city of Chitre, Herrera Province, without drinking water. The regional authorities of the Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) said the pump broke down at 1:00 in the afternoon, and said two maintenance crews are working at the site. The repairs might take as much as 12 hours or more, because they have to change the pump. The IDAAN recommended that the affected communities should ration water consumption to avoid a total shortage. (TVN)

#Panama - It's ready. After 10 months of repair work, the access road to the Centennial Bridge will officially be reopened today. The repaired section (which runs from Panama City towards the interior of the country) is 35 meters long and 15 meters wide.

It Will Be Closed Again: Although the path to the bridge will be reopened, soon authorities will be announcing a new partial closure of at least 15 days, according to the Minister of Public Works (MOP), Federico José Suárez. The next closure is due to other repair work that has to be done on the part of the road that comes from Arraiján towards Panama City (which is currently being used), because this part of the roadway is also deteriorated. This rehabilitation had a cost of $ 30 million dollars, and the damage happened in December last year, when rain caused landslides that affected the slab, about 150 meters from the bridge itself. (Dia a Dia)

#Panama - The Minister of Public Works (MOP) Federico Suarez said the access road to the Centennial Bridge has been repaired after the collapse, and the roadway will be reopened to the public on Tuesday, 18 October 2011. However he said soon they will announce a partial closure of the roadway that will last approximately 15 days. This closure will be made in order to complete repairs on another section of roadway which provides access to the bridge (the ramp from the direction of Gamboa towards the bridge and the interior of the country). The repairs to the collapsed section of roadway is 35 meters long and 15 meters wide. The repairs to this important section of roadway cost more than $30 million dollars, said Suarez. This access road to the Centennial Bridge has been closed to the public since early December 2010 when it collapsed due to heavy rains. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: The government is now going about the task of figuring out who will be held responsible for the collapse of this roadway, and who will foot the bills for the repairs. The roadway was built over landfill with inadequate drainage. In order to make the repairs pilings were sunk down to the bedrock to support the roadway from below. The first build was "done cheap" but the repairs were built to last.

#Panama - After repair work was completed by officers of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), this weekend vehicular traffic was once again authorized to use the bridge over the Brujo river, located in the community of Cochea, in the province of Chiriqui. The structure had collapsed as a result of the heavy rains that fell last week across the province. This bridge is used to reach communities such as Zambrano and Guayabal, and it is also connects the regions of Las Lomas to David. On the bridge the foundations were replaced, as well as the pendulums (counterweights), and longitudinal floor beams and planks were installed on the new roadway. The bridge will benefit more than 15,000 people. (Mi Diario)

Editor's Comment: One of the things I love about getting out into the interior of Panama is running into these old types of bridges used around the country to cross the multitude of rivers and streams. On many occasions I've had the thought "holy crap, we're going across that?" run through by brain. They are old and noisy, they move and shake and rattle, and for the most part they work just fine. They do add a little extra element of excitement to a road trip, though.

#Panama - Starting next week Panamanians will be able to see the start of the work for the construction of the third phase of the coastal strip - from Balboa Avenue to the Avenue of the Poets - said Carlos Ho of the Ministry of Public Works. Among the planned tasks is the construction of a breakwater at the Seafood Market, the burying of the high voltage line from El Marañón to La Loceria, improve drainage and traffic lights, and the creation of a pedestrian walkway in the area known as El Terraplén. The first tasks are the installation of security fences on Avenida Balboa, where the breakwater will be built, which will allow for better utilization of the Panama pier. (Telemetro)

#Panama - The company FCC Construccion SA is the virtual winner of the tender for the construction of the new hospital that will be located in the area of Chiva-Chiva, at the site of the old antenna field. The company bid $587 million dollars and received a technical score of 93.6%, while the reference price of the Social Security Fund was $650 million dollars. The envelopes were opened this morning, and the companies that were most close were Samsung at $599 million dollars and SACYR - Interplus at $639 million dollars. The new "hospital city" will be built on a 32 hectare plot of land, with a lifespan of 100 years, where 3 million users will be attended. (Panama America)

Location Of The Chiva-Chiva Antenna Farm, North of Fort Clayton, in Panama

Editor's Comment: And there you go. There's yet another government contract let for $587 million dollars of new public spending, to build a new hospital to improve medical and healthcare services to the people of Panama. And now the winning company will sub-contract out for many of the required parts and pieces, to companies such as "Lucky Loco's" cement, "Lights For D. Change" electrical supply, and "Fuggidaboudit" plumbing warehouse. And the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round... Just keep thinking, $42 billion dollars.

#Panama - On Saturday, 22 October 2011, parts of Panama City will be without drinking water service for 24 hours due to work related to the construction of the new Metro Subway system in Panama. The work will be conducted in the area of Los Andes No.1, opposite the mall, according to Mara Rivera, spokeswoman for the Institute for National Water and Sewerage (Idaan). It is anticipated the suspension of water supply will begin at 6:00 am on 22 October and will continue until 6:00 am on Sunday morning, 23 October 2011. The IDAAN has not yet released a list of the areas of the city that will be affected by this programmed suspension of service. It is known that all of the areas served by the water treatment plant in Chilibre will be affected. It is expected that users who receive water service from the Miraflores treatment plant will not be affected. Rivera said drinking water will be supplied to medical centers in the capital using tanker trucks. She added that because this is a programmed, scheduled outage users should take the necessary steps to obtain drinking water. (Prensa)

President Ricardo Martinelli said Wednesday the Panama Bay Sanitation Project will be finished one year in advance. "I am confident that by 2014 the Panama Bay will be completely healthy so it can be enjoyed by the Panamanians," he told local media. During a tour of the waste water treatment plant, the President said some new areas of the city will be included in the project that were not originally covered, including San Felipe, El Chorrillo, Santa Ana and sectors of the District of San Miguelito. He said the next government will have to expand the plant to account for the growth of Panama City. According to Martinelli, this project will benefit all citizens and give the country a good image. On the subject of the FTA with the United States, said before the end of 2011 it could be ratified by Congress. On another issue, Martinelli will participate on Thursday at the fifth Competitiveness Forum of the Americas (V-FCA), where he will give a speech. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: The project to clean up the Bay of Panama is now 71% done.

The construction of Panama's new Metro subway system is progressing both on the surface and underground. As this occurs, the original conceptual design of the project is being changed at the last minute, according to the authorities "to improve service to users." National Assembly Deputy Jorge Alberto Rosas said in the Assembly that within the budget of the Secretariat of the Metro, under the Ministry of the Presidency, indicates train sizes will be reduced from four cars to three. Rosas pointed out that despite the reduction of the train size from four cars to three, the budget amounts were kept intact. For fiscal year 2012, the Metro project has allocated $581 million dollars. "They are reducing the capacity of the Metro," denounced Rosas, a Deputy from the Molirena political party, on Wednesday night amid the debate over the draft budget.

What Rosas said was refuted and explained by the engineer Robert Roy, head of the Secretariat of the Metro, who has admitted changes in the contractor's proposal "to improve service to users." "This is a very technical issue and it cannot be reviewed lightly," said Roy when he heard what was said by Deputy Rosas. Roy said the reduction of subway trains from 4 to 3 cars serves two purposes: first, increasing the total number of trains from 15 to 20, and second, this increase reduces the waiting time of users at the different terminals. Roy explained they will acquire 60 cars and it was decided to optimize the operation by reducing the size of the train and thereby increase the transport fleet to 20 trains. "We opted for a better distribution of the number of train cars to reduce the time intervals between trains for the benefit of users. What we want is a fast system ... if there are more trains, users will have to wait less," he said. (Critica)

#Panama - Legal proceedings against the company Construcciones Urbana S.A. (CUSA) and two other corporations involved in the construction of the Centennial Bridge, will soon be submitted to the Public Ministry. According to Public Works Minister, Federico Suarez, the investigations being conducted by the Internal Audit Department are in the final phase. Although he did not specify the date on which they would proceed legally, he indicated the investigations conducted by the MOP will show that the project had multiple failures. According to Suarez, the collapse of the seven hectares of land that served as access to the viaduct was due to faulty design components, construction and inspection of the project. He reported that during the legal proceedings, he said the company that did the design, that which built the project, and that in charge of the inspection will all be called. Within the inspection, he said, should answer those who were in the administration of the MOP during the construction of the viaduct and its approaches (2002-2004). In this case the company Omniconsult, S.A. should respond, which was contracted by the state to ensure that the company CUSA complied with all studies and the statement of objections in the contract for the work. This company was hired for $751,674 dollars, but due to delays in the construction of the Centennial road and bridge, they were paid a total of $862,466. The construction of the Eastern access road by the company CUSA had a cost of $48.924 million dollars. This access road to the Centennial Bridge collapsed in December of 2010, affecting, since that date, vehicular traffic through this point.

OTHER FAILURES - After the collapse of the Centennial Bridge East access on 10 December 2010, a committee named by the MOP detected failures in the hydraulic and geotechnical studies. This, because the landfill used to build the access road had cracks and leaks in which there was an accumulation of groundwater cause by the lack of drainage.

INSPECTION IS THE KEY - According to Julio Rovi, the president of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects, the lack of adequate immediate and follow up inspections caused the project to display faults. With monitoring it can be determined if the materials and processes used were adequate, he said. (El Siglo)

Editor's Comment: And let's see - who was in charge of the Ministry of Public Works from 2002 to 2004? At that time the president of Panama was Mireya Moscoso from the Arnulfista (now Panameñista) political party. Her Minister of Public Works was Victor Juliao, the guy who asked the Electoral Tribunal to give him a list of the party affiliations of all MOP employees. They turned him down. At the time Victor Juliao was the Secretary General of the Panameñista party, and after they took over he fired more than 100 people from the MOP and the PRD complained it was a politically motivated purging of the institution, and filed a suit against him. All of this happened more than 10 years ago, and Victor Juliao was the person in charge of the MOP when the Centennial Bridge was being built. And now by a strange twist of events, another, younger Victor Juliao (son?) is a Deputy in the National Assembly and a militant member of Ricardo Martinelli's Cambio Democratico political party. Anyway, I think this play by the MOP and Martinelli will be more directed towards having ammo to use against the Panameñistas in general, rather than against Victor Juliao directly, as well as making those responsible for the damage to the bridge pay up.

#Panama - The Executive Secretary of the Metro, Roberto Roy, said the first tunnel boring machine "Marta" will come to Panama in October. It will start working at the "Southern Trench" near Albrook. The second TBM named "Carolina" will start work at the "Northern Trench" on Via Transístimica. Roy said the TBM "Marta" will start work in December and the second in January 2012. "So far the work has gone well, and the project has been advanced by 10%. Probably this month they will surpass 15%," Roy told local media. Roy also announced that within weeks they will begin the work of removing utilities to make way for the construction of the underground Metro station to be located at the Church of El Carmen on Via España.

Roy made his statements as the inauguration of the plant that will be producing the "dovelas" or ring segments. These segments, made of precast reinforced concrete, are bolted together to form a conical-shaped ring to support the walls of the tunnel carved out by the TBMs. (Panama America)

Roberto Roy - The Executive Secretary of the Metro - Responsible for the construction of the new underground subway system in Panama

#Panama - Public Works Minister Federico Jose Suarez said today he expects the repairs to the roadway leading to the Centennial Bridge will be 100% complete within 15 days, and it will fall to the competent authorities to determine the responsibility for the collapse of the structure. The access road to the Centennial Bridge is almost ready, they just need to finish the marking,l and to pour a five meter slab of cement for the ramp from Gamboa towards Arraiján. The other section that was being used will be closed for repairs, said the Minister. Suarez also said a different structure was built in the area where the roadway collapsed, a type of bridge that will endure because it was anchored to the bedrock and not built on top of landfill, as was the first roadway that collapsed. He also announced they are now inspecting the Centennial Bridge, but stated it is a routine inspection.

The total cost of the repairs was estimated by the Minister of Public Works at $33 million dollars. Minister Suarez avoided defining responsibilities, saying he is not a judge, and it will fall to the competent authorities to determine responsibilities. Suarez said five companies, including the MOP, will have to give their versions and explanations for the collapse on the road. The minister made these remarks as he went to inspect the work in the company of members of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA). (TVN)

Editor's Comment: This is the roadway that washed out and collapsed during the heavy rains that fell during the first week of December 2010. If cost about $120 million dollars to build the bridge in the first place, and now $33 million more to repair the roadway that washed out just a few years later.

The Tunnel Boring Machine "Gloria" being used to construct the interceptor tunnel that forms part of the project to clean up the Bay of Panama advances at a depth of 30 meters below the surface in the area of Chanis, in Panama City. During a tour of the area where you the new treatment plant and interceptor tunnel carrying sewage is being built, Tatiana De Janon, project coordinator, said they are working at these depths to minimize any damage. "We're going right underneath the roadways, but most people do not perceive it," she said. Thus far 3.7 kilometers of the tunnel have been dug, of a total of 8 kilometers long. "We have a great rate of progress," said De Janon, adding that the project as a whole, including all of the different elements, is 68% completed. When the tunnel is completed it will come out at the Coastal Strip, as planned. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: So, there will be a total of three Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) working in Panama City at the same time. This one, as part for the project to clean up the Bay of Panama, and simultaneously there are two more working to dig the tunnel for the underground portion of the new Metro subway system. One will come from Albrook towards the East, and the other will come from Transistmica heading generally West.

The consortium Calypso Investment Corporation was the sole bidder and therefore they were awarded the contract for the design, remodeling and reconstruction of the Urraca Park at a cost of $4.9 million dollars. The project was tendered by the Municipality of Panama and the commitment will be established as soon as the relevant procedures are completed to start work. The project includes the redesign of the park, the demolition of existing structures, as well as removal of furniture and fixtures. (Siglo)

Editor's Comment: This is one project the Municipal Government of Panama City has been going after. The MOP has been blowing it off so they took it back over. I think this plan calls for the construction of additional underground parking facilities, under the park. Parque Urraca is located just off of Ave Balboa, across the street from the Miramar buildings. Originally this land was used as a cattle holding area. Ships carrying cattle from the interior of the country to bring beef to Panama City would offload the cows. There was no dock, so the crew on the ships would force the cows into the ocean. The cows would instinctively swim ashore and were held in pens located in what is now Parque Urraca, awaiting slaughter. Back then, in the 1930's and 1940's, that was the extreme edge of Panama City and where the city basically ended.

In about 14 months Panama will have a new international airport. The government of Panama gave the order to proceed to the company Meco for the project to rebuild the old airport at Rio Hato, in the province of Cocle. The restoration work will include the rehabilitation of the runway, construction of a box (tunnel) under the road and the building. The award of this project, which has a cost of $53.2 million dollars, was done through a public bidding process, which was won by the company Meco. This project will be supervised by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), each of the institutions have different areas under their charge. At least, the MOP will monitor the construction of the roadway and the runway, while the CAA is responsible for the terminal building and control tower. During the ceremony, President Ricardo Martinelli said the new Scarlett Martínez Airport at Rio Hato will bring benefits and opportunities for area residents. He confirmed several companies that conduct charter flights from the US and Europe will use this airport, which was being wasted. The government conducted several studies to determine the best location for the construction of the airport and Rio Hato was found to be the cheapest option. (Telemetro)

Via Argentina and Calle Uruguay in Panama City will be getting a face lift, in a government renewal project that will cost $30 million dollars. The project includes burying cables, extending sidewalks, the installation of new streets, and improved drainage. It also covers the construction of underground parking with capacity for 850 cars, 400 on Calle Uruguay and 450 on Via Argentina. For now, the Municipality of Panama has tendered the contract for the project designs and waiting for interested companies to submit their proposals on 21 September. Then the contract will be awarded and construction could be completed in 2013. The project was originally led by the Ministry of Public Works, but because it is not a priority for this entity, the municipality took it over and will use their own equity as well as loan financing. (Prensa)

The manager of the National Highway Company, Rigoberto Effio, gave the green light today to the company Ingenieros Civiles y Asociados (ICA) for the study, design and construction of the second phase of the Northern Corridor, the stretch between Brisas del Golf and the township of 24 de Diciembre. The section covers the construction of 10.3 km of roadway, and will have four new interchanges, at a cost of $114.8 million dollars. It is expected construction will start in December of this year 2011 and be ready in September 2013. The order was handed over by Effio to Diego Fernandez of ICA, in a ceremony that was attended by the Ambassador of Mexico in Panama, Alejandra Bologna Zubikarai. Effio said the expansion of the two corridors coincides with the project to improve the nation's roadway system. (TVN)

PANAMA CITY, Panama, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Expert surveys in Panama have established the Central American nation is sitting on an oil bonanza worth at least $15 billion. Panama is dependent on imported oil and rising demand puts added pressure on the country's cash resources. But the latest results of scientific surveys promise a timely relief at least for the next two decades. The surveys confirmed oil deposits in two basins that have geological seams linking them to reserves in Colombia in the southeast. Based on the findings, the surveys indicated the eastern Panama region may be holding at least 900 million barrels of oil. Panama's National Energy Secretariat cited the estimates of oil deposits and income projects in a report on the results of the scientific surveys.

Senior government aides welcomed the news, a potential boost to approval ratings for President Ricardo Martinelli. The Garachine-Sambu and Bayano-Chucunaque-Atrato basins of Panama's Darien province on the Colombian border have been the subject of a targeted exploration by Venezuela's OTS with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank. The IDB partly funded the $476,765 contract while Panama's Energy Secretariat also contributed cash to the project. OTS, formed by former employees of the frequently nationalized Venezuelan state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., was contracted to carry out the investigation in the Tonosi, Darien and Bocas del Toro regions and build a database of potential hydrocarbon reserves. The two basins are likely to be divided into four blocks each of exploratory areas for which a timetable for bidding is yet to be established.

The government has said a bidding process for exploration rights and for determining the deposits' quality and volume would likely be launched later in 2011. Martinelli is pushing for oil exploration because of Panama's need to have its own energy resources and lessen the country's dependence on foreign sources for its energy needs, the Energy Secretariat said. Reports of substantial oil reserves have been circulating in Panama since April 2010, when Martinelli announced oil deposits had been detected in the area. Panama has been exploring for oil since the last century but has yet to produce commercial quantities. More than 36 exploratory wells drilled over the years have not yielded major oil finds.

Panama's dollar-based economy depends on its dynamic services sector that accounts for three-quarters of the gross domestic production. Different sectors, including Panama Canal operations, logistics, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry and tourism, contribute to that income. Panama's economic growth is set to be bolstered by the $5.3 billion Panama Canal expansion project that began in 2007 and is scheduled to be completed by 2014.

Editor's Comment: Check the math. If there are 900 million (900,000,000) barrels of oil, and today a barrel of crude sells for $88 dollars, then the oil reserves in Panama could be worth $79.2 billion dollars gross. Not bad for a country with a population of just 3.3 million - works out to $24,000 per person. Put another way, there are 272 barrels of oil for every man, woman, and child in the country.

PANAMA CITY – Some 900 million barrels of crude oil have been detected at two basins in eastern Panama, representing a potential contribution to the country's coffers of $15 billion over 20 years, the National Energy Secretariat said.

A geological study conducted by Venezuelan firm OTS detected the deposits in the Garachine-Sambu and Bayano-Chucunaque-Atrato basins of Darien province, which borders Colombia, Energy Secretary Juan Manuel Urriola said Tuesday in a statement.

The quality of the oil deposits has not yet been determined but Urriola estimated their "commercial potential" at some $15 billion in taxes and royalties based on the consultant's estimate of a per-barrel price of $100 over 20 years.

The Venezuelan firm recommended that in the bidding process the exploratory areas be divided into four geographical blocks per basin, Urriola said.

OTS will submit a prospectus containing "all the information already classified and digitized through the use of specialized software and which will enable the bidding process to begin" on an unspecified date, the statement said.

Urriola announced on July 5 the discovery of the oil deposits, saying that before the end of 2011 a bid process for exploration rights and for determining the deposits' quality and volume would be launched.

In the statement published Tuesday, the Energy Secretariat said President Ricardo Martinelli is pushing for oil exploration because of Panama's need to have its own energy resources and lessen the country's dependence on oil derivatives, the high cost of which has caused local fuel prices to soar.

Martinelli said in April 2010 that oil deposits had been detected in Darien and that a study showed that oil seams located in Colombia reach as far as Panama.

Oil exploration in Panama dates back to the beginning of last century when geological surface surveys were begun in Bocas del Toro and Darien provinces, the Energy Secretariat says.

More than 36 exploratory wells have been drilled over the years and geologists have acquired geophysical information over an area of almost 10,000 sq. kilometers (3,860 sq. miles) - including images of the country's marine subsoil - that confirms the presence of hydrocarbons. (Fox)

On Tuesday in Germany Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli received the Tunnel Boring Machines (TMB) named "Martha" and "Carolina" to be used to drill the new Metro Subway Line 1 in Panama City. These machines with an outside diameter of 9.77 meters were built by the German company Herrenknecht AG. The president wrote via Twitter the TBMs include a land pressure technology to allow them to work safely. "I'm so glad to have the power to transform the transportation system of our country, to make it safe and reliable," he said. Martinelli announced that Herrenknecht AG will install a TBM assembly facility in Panama to serve Latin America, an investment that will create a significant number of new jobs in the country.

The Executive Secretary of the Metro, Roberto Roy, said the TBMs have a cost of about $30 to $40 million dollars. The 2 machines include all of the complementary equipment such as locomotives, conveyor belts, in addition to rails, spare parts, maintenance, wiring, cutting tools, among others. The price also includes transportation to Panama and assembly. Both TBMs are expected to arrive in Panama in October or November, and they will be used to dig the 7km long tunnel to connect Albrook with Transístmica, with underground stations at 5 de Mayo, Santo Tomás, Iglesia del Carmen, Vía Argentina and Fernández de Córdoba. (Panama America)

In the basins of the Garachiné-Sambú and Bayano-Chucunaque-Atrato rivers there are an estimated 900 million barrels of oil, according to studies conducted by the company Empresa OTS Latinamérica LLC. This was confirmed in a statement this afternoon by Panama's Energy Secretary Juan Manuel Urriola, who added the results of the study show there is the potential for the development of commercial hydrocarbons in those basins. The exploitation of these assets would represent $15 billion dollars for the Panamanian state in the form of royalties and taxes, estimating the price per barrel of oil at $100 dollars, over a period of 20 years, as reflected in the calculations made by the consultant. “OTS Latinamerica LLC suggests a bidding process program for the exploration areas, based on the geographical division of four blocks for each basin," said the press release. The Garachiné-Sambú basin has a total area of 7,410 square kilometers, and the Bayano-Chucunaque-Atrato basin has 7,630 square kilometers. The third phase of the study presented to the National Secretariat of Energy, aims to describe the geology and petroleum system of the basins in question, and the delineation of the blocks to be offered in bidding for exploration areas. OTS delivered data with all of the information already classified and digitized through specialized software, that will serve to facilitate the start of the bidding process. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: The corrupt idiots of the administration of Martin Torrijos knew there was oil in the Darien, however they were demanding massive bribes from the US wildcat companies who expressed an interest in searching for it, just to have a lunch meeting with some lowly secretary. The US companies, who have massive and deep experience in this type of exploration and exploitation, told them to "pound sand" before they folded their tents and left. Now, under the administration of Ricardo Martinelli, maybe some oil might start coming out of the ground.

The Executive Director of the Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN), Abdiel Cano, should repair more than 2,000 water leaks that have been reported in Panama City, at the request of president Ricardo Martinelli. In an analysis of the situation of water shortage in the city and other parts of the interior of the Republic Martinelli said there are deficits in the distribution phase of the vital fluid. Martinelli said it costs between $300 to $500 to repair every leak, and the director of IDAAN has been given $150,000 to make these arrangements. Martinelli invited the plumbers in the country to go to the IDAAN and offer their services. He also warned Mr. Cano that if he does not comply with the order he could be fired. (La Critica)

Editor's Comment: There are like 2,700 people who work for the IDAAN, and obviously none of them are spending much time fixing leaks.

Ricardo Martinelli's administration is backing an amendment to the Trust Fund for Development, this time to use part of the resources for the construction of infrastructure in the reverted areas. This would be the second change to the law in a year. In June 2010 the National Assembly approved the use of 35% of the fund to purchase the Northern and Southern Corridors. This time, the change would allow the fund to "invest in itself" explained the Minister of Finance, Alberto Vallarino. Among the areas that could see the investment of these funds would be all of the Western side of the Panama Canal, including Farfán and Punta Batele, as well as Clayton, and especially the road leading to the Centennial Bridge, where the new "hospital city" is being built. The analyst and president of the Panamanian Association of Business Executives John Bennett believes this is an issue which first should be discussed at length, and the regretted that the Government thinks they are the only ones who can build infrastructure. His advice would be to allow companies to "make their investments," such as in the case of the railroad. "I get nervous when politicians start to tell us about the great things they will do with our money," said Bennett, referring to the possible spending of the money in the investment fund, money saved through the privatization of formerly state owned enterprises. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: This "Trust Fund for Development" was created back in the 90's when Panama started selling off things like the casinos, telephone company, and electric company, all of which were privatized. The government of Panama received billions of dollars, and the state remains as a majority share holder in all of these businesses - where private companies have been granted concessions. So, the money keeps rolling in, and now Martinelli wants to spend some of it to built even more infrastructure. Great.

Panama's National Institute of Water and Sewerage (Idaan) reported the water supply has been restored in areas affected today by a broken pipe in the construction area of ​​the "Northern Trench" of the new Metro subway system of Panama. Mara Rivera, a spokeswoman for the agency, told La Prensa that "the valves have already been opened," so residents in many of the affected areas should be getting water service. She clarified it might take awhile longer for water to reach those living in higher elevations. Some of the areas affected were: Los Ángeles, El Ingenio, Villa Cáceres, Vista Hermosa, and the surrounding areas. The Idaan spokeswoman asked people to report any problems with water service by calling 311. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Early yesterday morning construction workers who are working at the site of the "Northern Trench" broke the primary 16- inch water main pipe which serves the area of Bethania. Repairs took slightly more than 24 hours. The "Northern Trench" is where the tunnel boring machine (TBM) will go underground to dig the tunnel which will run the length of Vía España. Another TBM will start work near the Albrook Bus Terminal and work back the other way. The two will meet in the middle. Going in the other direction, the Panama Metro won't actually be a subway, but rather an elevated train that will run as far as the Los Andes shopping center.

Deputy Finance Minister Dulcidio De La Guardia said today tolls on the Southern Corridor will remain the same. This, after the National Highway Company (ENA) and the Mexican company Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA) signed yesterday, Monday, the contract for the purchase of this road. De La Guardia told TVN News the (legal) structure of ENA does not include an increase in the tolls. "The tariff is structured to be maintained as they are today," he reiterated. Also, he said the employment status of the workers on the Southern Corridor remains the same. Their collective commitment and seniority will be respected, he said. According to the deputy minister, ICA will be paid a total of $420 million dollars for the Southern Corridor. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Now that the government is in charge, I hope they will be more flexible in doing good things for the people who use this road. In this article they are talking about not raising tolls, but what about reducing them. What about hiring more staff to be able to open more toll booths during peak traffic periods. What about simply opening the gate and not charging at all when there's a massive backup. Let's see how they decide to manage the thing...

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - In reference to the purchase of Southern Corridor by the Panamanian government today, president Ricardo Martinelli said via his Twitter account "now comes the purchase of the Northern Corridor, if not then we would get it back in 2081. It will pay for itself with the tolls in eight years." Paying these companies to build these roads was a bad business deal for Panama. It was a good deal for the corrupt government officials who collected the bribe money to make the deal, but a very bad deal indeed for the Panamanian people. Anyway, now the government is buying them back and that will be that. Panama has a lot more money to throw around now than it did ten (plus) years ago, thanks to the incredible growth in the economy and the resultant rise in revenue (code word for taxes.)

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Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.