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The Labor Minister Clara López has warned that a profound labor crisis is affecting the departments of Meta, Casanare and Vichada, as 50% of the 120,000 jobs with the oil industry have been lost during 2015 and 2016 thus far.

Representatives of the Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP), its members, the Labor Ministry, the Casanare Government and the Vice Minister of Employment and Pensions Francisco Javier Mejía met to discuss issues affecting Casanare communities. This and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories in our periodic summary.

With the second half of 2016 already underway, a promised tax reform from the government could be in the works, and the president of the Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP) outlined the entity’s arguments for greater incentives for the industry in recent interviews.

The Atlántico Department has high hopes for innovation that can be gained from having several potential industries increasing activity at home: agroindustry, offshore exploration, petrochemicals and metalworking.

A report in a national paper caught our eye, as it trumpeted the fact that Colombia ranked third in Latin America when it comes to exploration activity, and that “only Brazil and Argentina were ahead of Colombia in terms of exploration wells”.

Since so much of the oil / gas and mining investment in Colombia is by Canadian companies, speaking to the Canada Colombia Chamber of Commerce is a good way to talk to the extractive sector in one session.

A few weeks ago, we reported the latest results from the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) Territorial Strategy initiative: a series of four academic studies sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

The president (acting) of the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) Orlando Velandia participated in a forum in the Senate to discuss an energy agreement “The International Energy Charter”, of which Colombia forms a part. He also talked about the importance of supporting the hydrocarbons industry.

The USO has been leading a protest and demanding access to the Puerto Cayao (Cartagena) regasification plant, accusing its operator of not recognizing the union and blocking the entry of union leaders.

Two of the largest Colombian workers’ unions have called on the government to take immediate action to stimulate oil activity and counter a near stagnation in exploration activities.