News and AnalysIs for

The ‘100-days’ stories were a week or two ago and I had planned to write a ‘Duque-year-end-in-review’ article on December 17^th, my last ‘long-form’ article of the year. But well-respected think-tank Inter-American Dialogue published this report last Friday and I thought I should take advantage of the multiple points of view.

Amerisur Resources announced a new strategic alliance with Occidental Andina LLC, an affiliate of Occidental Petroleum Corporation to develop key exploration blocks in Colombia. The companies announced big investments in Colombia for the coming years.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) explained how entrepreneurs will avoid double processes when trying to access tax benefits.

Invest Bogota conducted a study on the different alternatives to reduce costs in the oil sector. In addition, BDO Colombia spoke about the situation of the sector in this issue.

The Minister of Environment (MinAmbiente), Ricardo Lozano, visited communities in Cauca to talk about their concerns in regards to a sustainable development. These and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories in our periodic summary.

The director of the National Agency of Environmental Licenses (ANLA), Rodrigo Suárez, hosted an event where he spoke about the entity’s accomplishments with entrepreneurs.

Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC) commented on the COR 62 project viability that crosses several ecosystems and generated concerns about its environmental impact. Edward Tovar, Manager of Unconventional Deposits at ECP, spoke on this topic.

From attacking the Coveñas Caño Limón (CCL) pipeline three times this month, to kidnapping locals in vulnerable areas, the ELN is pushing Colombians’ patience every day. This despite press reports that the government and the guerrilla are still trying to come to the table.

Luis Miguel Morelli, President of the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), spoke about the Norte de Santander potential for natural gas in an event on ‘Challenges for Regional Competitiveness’ in Cúcuta.