After more than a year of discussions the government and ELN guerrilla group announced this week that the two parties have agreed to an initial agenda and structure for roundtable talks, expanding the scope of the government’s peace initiative just ahead of presidential elections.
A group of municipal and congressional authorities, along with members of the business community, journalists and even a bishop toured the Magdalena River multi-port facility which promises to use Colombia’s largest river as a new transportation option for hydrocarbons. It is set to be up and working in the middle of 2015.
A study by UK firm Arthur D. Little commissioned by the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) gave Colombia a 3.9 out of 5 for its investment attractiveness to oil companies, ranking it behind Brazil and Mexico.
On May 17th the General Royalty System (SGR) officially marked its second anniversary, and a look at the results over the last two years shows highway projects have received the most funding, while regionally the Caribbean coast has benefited the most.
Vetra Acquisitions has made a bid to take over Suroco Energy (TSX:SRN.V), looking to entice shareholders away from an April agreement with Petroamerica (TSX:PTA) that is to be voted on by shareholders in a June 25, 2014 meeting.
Following through on promises to limit the number of tanker trucks heading from fields in Putumayo through Huila, national government officials have announced that crude will start heading to Ecuador via pipeline starting on July 15th. Truckers that currently move the crude through Huila in tankers have rejected the measure.
An oil engineer, Oscar Vanegas, and repeated critic of the oil industry in Casanare has received his own share of criticism after the Industrial University of Santander (UIS), where Vanegas is a staff member, said he does not speak for the institution and presents ideas without proper scientific field testing to back them up.
The Llanos Orientales (ODL) pipeline has been working for the last two years to reach an agreement with local communities for an 86km Carmentea-Araguaney section, but for every socialization and advance, another snag appears with local leaders.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) is preparing a Conpes document that would create greater incentives for investment in off-shore exploration, one of its priorities in expanding Colombia’s proven reserves.
A prominent family with livestock interests has denounced oil exploration and poor industry practices in environmental matters in Casanare in accusations filed with the country’s Attorney General, and is calling for a penal investigation into the matter.
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