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.
A recent report from the National Planning Department (DNP) found that there are 122 royalty funded projects worth around CoP$1T (US$324M) which are in a “critical state of execution” and suffering from delays and management problems.
Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) has proposed moving its Lorita-1 well, part of an exploration project, due to concerns from residents in the Municipality of Guamal, Meta. The NOC said that the project will go forward, although it has been discussed now for over three years.
The opposition to fracking in Colombia has been simmering for some time, but reached a new level last week after Santander’s Departmental Assembly unanimously voted against the technique in their territory.
A work team of experts from the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) attended the Cesar Department Assembly to encourage dialogue and address concerns from local authorities.
The first warnings that Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) honeymoon after taking over the Rubiales field could be coming to a close have emerged. Community groups are complaining that few of the NOC’s contractors have socialized their projects with locals, and want a greater focus on local hiring.
The Minister of Finance (MinHacienda) Mauricio Cárdenas has his eyes on royalty savings, and is urging lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow the government to use the CoP$10T (US$3.25B) that had been set aside from royalty payments. This and other royalty-related stories in our periodic summary.
The Santander Departmental Assembly voted to reject fracking techniques and the USO was there to mark the event.
Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) and the national government reached an agreement with the U’wa indigious community which allowed NOC personnel to restart and secure the Gibraltar Gas plant after weeks of U’wa occupation.
In Yaguará, Huila, Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) insists that it has hired 100% of its unskilled labor locally and 30% of skilled labor, but individuals in the community have maintained blockades affecting five wells for nearly two months.