OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings has published its new Latin American Oil and Gas Dashboard. The publication explores key themes affecting the credit profiles of the region's rated Oil and Gas issuers. Items covered in the report include: impact of low oil price environment, capital investments and leverage expectations as well as the Mexican energy reform.

In general, despite a recent downturn in international oil prices that resulted in capex reductions for Latin American national oil companies (NOCs), these companies will maintain relatively high capex compared with their cash flow generation through 2015. Fitch forecasts the aggregate investments for the rated NOCs in Latin America will decrease to approximately USD70 billion in 2015, down from approximately USD85 billion in 2014. The sector overall has reacted to lower oil prices by revising downward its capital investment plants and renegotiating services contracts to reduce operating costs. Fitch's Outlooks for Latin American oil and gas companies are for the most part Negative.