As part of Bolivia’s Upstream Reactivation Plan (PRU), state-owned oil company Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) announced that it expects to complete the drilling of the Churumas X3 well in Tarija by June 2025.
In a press conference on Monday, Wilman Yabeta, YPFB’s Vice President of Administration, Contracts, and Supervision, confirmed the schedule and revealed that once Churumas X3 is completed, the company will immediately begin drilling Churumas X4.
“Churumas X3 is currently being drilled and is expected to be completed by June this year. Following this, we will initiate drilling of Churumas X4,” said Yabeta.
This effort is part of a broader push under the PRU, which includes six active drilling operations: Yapucaiti X1, Bermejo X46, IÑAU X3D, Charagua X1, Sirari WX1, and Churumas X3.
In parallel, YPFB is conducting civil works in preparation for the drilling of other wells, including San Ignacio X3, Tomachi X1 and X2, Yapacaní X1, and Montecristo 9.
There is heightened industry anticipation surrounding the Tomachi X1 and X2 stratigraphic wells, as they are located in non-conventional exploration areas—a potential indicator of new hydrocarbon prospects in Bolivia.
Yabeta also announced upcoming on-site media inspections, allowing journalists to witness firsthand the progress of the PRU drilling operations:
“Soon, we will conduct in situ inspections of fields currently in the drilling or testing stages so the press can directly observe the work YPFB is doing,” he added.
Mayaya Field Among Top Global Discoveries
One of the highlights of Bolivia’s recent exploration success is the Mayaya field, discovered by YPFB in the Sub-Andean North region, within the Madre de Dios basin. According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, it ranked among the top 10 oil and gas discoveries globally in 2024.
YPFB has already secured environmental licenses for several wells in the Mayaya Central area: Mayaya Central X1, X2, and X3, as well as Suapi X1, a structure adjacent to the Mayaya formation.
Reactivating Hydrocarbons Amid Production Decline
Launched in July 2021, the 2021–2025 Upstream Reactivation Plan seeks to replenish Bolivia’s hydrocarbon reserves and boost oil and gas production. The initiative is crucial to reviving the national energy sector, which has experienced a significant decline in gas output in recent years—an issue cited by the government as a key factor in the country’s economic difficulties.
