Stories this week involving the public roadways and the oil industry include talks between local leaders and Equion, an Ecopetrol program to pave roads in Arauca, restrictions in Caquetá and more.
As Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) shareholders go into today’s Annual Meeting they will probably be concerned about the dividend. They may be calmer than they might have been about the share price since it is up nearly US$5 from late February although still below where it closed at the end of 2013. They might complain about the refinery business. We think they should ask questions about growth.
A seismic exploration project being carried out by Pacific Rubiales is receiving increased resistance from local communities in Huila, where a number of government authorities, environmental activists and academics will organize a forum to discuss the matter.
Parex has held a press conference with local media outlets and looks to convince the local community that its plan to drill exploration wells in the Tinije Lagoon will be more environmentally safe than Spain’s Cepcolsa, who abandoned the project after community pressure.
GasThe Minister of Mines and Energy Amylkar Acosta is confident that a natural gas boom is coming to Colombia and that exporting gas to Panama, before the United States supplies the Central American market, is a current option.
USO affiliates staged a protest last week in front of Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) corporate headquarters in Bogotá over what the union says is a negligent attitude of the NOC in regards to the health benefits and conditions under contractor firms.
Rumors that Pacific Rubiales Energy (TSX:PRE) could be working with the investment bank of Bank of America to review the company’s strategic options in Colombia reached the market over the weekend, while the company insists it is not for sale.
Incidents near areas of interest to the oil and gas industry were down to 33, below recent but still above long-term averages. Non-Armed-Forces-reported incidents were above average both in percentage and absolute terms. This is our indicator of increased guerrilla-initiated activity. Correspondingly, our 4-week Moving Average incident count was down at 40.5 and the 52 week average was down slightly at 31.0 incidents per week.
Industry associations from mining, infrastructure and energy met and declared that they are “worried about the effects” of public referendums and social conflicts surrounding industry projects.
The surrounding region of Paz de Ariporo is suffering a severe drought that has led to widespread deaths of native species and livestock, and the local press is speculating that the boom of the mining-energy sector is to blame.
2025, Hydrocarbons Colombia, All Rights Reserved.
