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The head of the Colombian Transporters Confederation, Jorge Ignacio Garcia, told RCN Radio yesterday that the association’s 50,000 members had “turned off their motors” indefinitely because of a CoP$76 (US$0.04) increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline and CoP$111.60 (US$0.06) per gallon of diesel fuel. In Bogotá, the price of a gallon of diesel is US$4.58. (Unusually for a country which otherwise uses the metric system, gasoline prices are quoted per US gallon which is about 4 liters.)

The Colombian National Police report significant reductions in crime  in the month of September resulting from plan “Green Heart”. They report various categories of crime were down both month over month and year over year, in some categories as much as 80%. Bank robberies were zero in September. They report 71 captures during the month.

Gold Oil published its 1H2012 results and it is clear that it needs partners quickly. The company has an interest in the Azar block (operated by Gran Tierra) and operates the Nancy Burdine block under an arrangement with Ecopetrol. Both blocks are in Putumayo. The company also has interests in Peru.

NO INCREASE IN PRICES OF NATURAL GAS: NATURGAS

Bogotá, September 23, 2012. In response to the information presented in yesterday which claims that there will be a 10% increase in gas prices, Naturgas states that currently there will be no in any of the components that make up the rate users pay for gas.

Chile-based GeoPark reported its first half 2012 results in a press release, highlighting acquisitions in Colombia that increased production and successful exploration in Colombia as well.

The company closed two acquisitions in Colombia in the first half and that contributed 88% of the 194% increase in revenues that the company recorded. The price was US$105M and revenue contribution for the first half was US$36M which should make the CFO and the shareholders happy.

In a press release, Canacol updated its exploration activities in Colombia and plans for the rest of the calendar year.  The company is one of only four listed on the Colombian stock exchange. It has yet to publish its calendar 2Q12 results but since this is the company’s fiscal 4Q12 period, it has until the end of this month legally to do so. The company has been subject to sale rumors over the past few months. Last week the company published its fiscal 2012 update to reserves announcing that these had nearly doubled although most of this was due to the acquisition of properties in Ecuador. Organic growth due to Colombian properties was a still healthy 38%. Some key items:

The Colombian Petroleum Workers Union (USO) has called for an industry-wide strike or day of protest in the oil-important department of Meta on October 3, 2012. The union is in a bitter battle with CEPCOLSA and its subcontractor Termtecnica Coindustrial but has been trying to widen the dispute to include Pacific Rubiales. A few weeks ago, it told reporters from RCN Radio that riots in the city of Puerto Gaitan were directed at the company, something that spokesperson Ferderico Restrepo had to deny publicly. The union says the march, strike or day of protest has the goal of raising awareness on the following:

We have started tracking security events that could be important for the Oil Gas and Mining industry. See our dedicated page here for a complete listing.

Respected alternative Internet-based news site La Silla Vacia reports that the mayors of Villavicencio (Meta) and Alan Jara, the governor of the department of Meta, are considering civil disobedience to get the government’s attention on the problem of tanker trucks in the route Bogotá-Villavicencio. (The article is the fourth down the page.)

This route is essentially the only way to get from the country’s center to the economically important state of Meta and so all commerce travels by truck by this highway. Although portions are four-lane and much work has been done to improve transit times, the improvements come through tunnels and viaducts that are often two-lane.

The Colombian Auditor General issued a warning about risks associated with Ecopetrol’s sometimes complex interational structures. Like any large firm, Ecopetrol uses a variety of offshore vehicles to structure its operations.