News and AnalysIs for

This will be published on Monday May 14, a Colombian holiday (Ascension Day if you are curious) and the start of the final push for Colombia’s Presidential elections (on May 23^rd). Two weeks from today we should have significantly more clarity on the next Government and so significantly more clarity on oil policy for the next four years.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) announced fuel prices for May.; these increased and the entity explained the reasons for the new rise. Representatives of the sector also spoke about prices behavior.

Despite political and social problems, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) remain firm in their decision to bet on Colombia’s potential.

One of communities’ main demands is the hiring of local labor. Ecopetrol (NYSE: ECP) reported figures for the number of jobs created during the first quarter of this year and locals represented the majority in these new positions.

Tourists found a dark spot in Coveñas, and although environmental authorities visited the area and confirmed that it was not an oil spill, local tourism and animals were affected by the issue. The development of these and more stories in our periodic Eco summary.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) and the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) analyzed the industry’s results for last year.

German Arce, Minister of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) announced progress on the Tax Refund Certificate (CERT). He highlighted that companies of the extractive sector are very interested in this issue.

Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC) and Equion stood out for their successful CSR projects that benefited communities in the departments of Casanare and Meta, among others. These and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories in our periodic summary.

Geopark Limited (NYSE: GPRK) announced its financial results for the first quarter 2018. The company reported production gains in its consolidated operation and in Colombia. The country keeps increasing its participation in this key metric.