A report issued last week by Colombia’s General Controller placing the responsibility for a drought earlier this year on the shoulders of the oil industry in Casanare has brought the issue back to the front pages, as critics call for greater restrictions on seismic exploration while oil authorities push back.
Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) says that contracts managed by the firm in the first half of 2014 reached CoP$10T (US$5.22B), putting it in line with contracting during 2013, when the NOC’s total contract pool valued COP$20B. The NOC said that 92% was performed with national suppliers.
To keep up with demand for asphalt destined for highway improvements, a firm has proposed a modernization of Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) aging Apiay Refinery in Meta, which the NOC had consider shuttering.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) says no changes will be made to the reference fuel price, pointing out that over the last year fuel prices have grown by less than 1% in the case of gasoline and 1.8% for diesel.
President Juan Manuel Santos named a new cabinet Monday evening which included several changes relevant to the oil industry, Amylkar Acosta steps down as the Minister of Mines and Energy and will be replaced by Tomás González.
A report looks at testimony from residents near the exploration block COR 33, which was awarded to Alange Energy, now Pacific Rubiales (TSX:PRE), but has seen activity halted as environmentalists claim a natural reserve coincides with its position.
Pacific Rubiales (TSX:PRE) is taking a successful suppliers development program from Meta to put it to work with local companies in Casanare, while Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) strengthens cacao producers and continues the Iguana roadshow to rural schools. These and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) related news.
The Colombian Chamber of Oil Goods & Services (Campetrol) has led an agreement signed between its 191 members that looks to denounce and prevent cases of corruption in the oil industry.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) will meet this week with representatives of coal miners Cerrejón and Drummond, as well as Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) to discuss Coal Bed Methane (CBM) that has been the center of conflict between the two coal miners over an unclear concession.
The USO says that a strike of contracted workers last week has “changed the dynamics” of negotiations to reach a new collective bargaining agreement with Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC), but warned that much work is still pending to reach the final accord.
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