ARPEL is a non-profit association that brings together companies and institutions from the oil, gas and biofuels sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was founded in 1965 as a vehicle for cooperation and reciprocal assistance among sector companies, with the primary purpose of actively contributing to industry integration and competitive growth and to energy development in the region. Its members currently operate in more than 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including national and international operating companies; technology, goods and services providers for the value chain, and national and international institutions in the sector.