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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.

The General Controller’s office has issued a report that blames a number of manmade influences, including oil production, livestock and rice plantations, for the Casanare drought earlier this year, but singled out seismic activity and the drilling of wells as the main responsible action for the drought.

The National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) has placed restrictions on the disposal of produced water from the Rubiales field into a waterway with the same name, citing the environmental risk for the area surrounding Pacific Rubiales (TSX:PRE) namesake, and largest producing field.

The Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development (MinAmbiente) Luz Helena Sarmiento has broken her silence and addressed the damage resulting from guerrilla attacks on oil infrastructure and tanker convoys.

A Bucaramanga based company called Allianza Ingeniería is leading a group of developers that received a patent for a technology that can treat water extracted from hydrocarbons production at a low cost and the company wants to see the technique used at a greater scale in the country.

Authorities in Cúcuta have uncovered a complete illegal refinery operation using crude stolen from pipelines, while the military and local authorities contradict on the scope of a spill after a Farc attack in Putumayo in early July. These and other environmental stories from around the country.

The Minister of Environment (MinAmbiente) Luz Helena Sarmiento has announced the establishment of 2 million hectares of protected land, and says that the government looks to declare 2 million hectares more as part of its efforts to better adapt to climate change.

A national TV station has gotten hold of a report issued to the Attorney General Eduardo Montealegre that claims that the oil industry is responsible for the drought in Paz de Ariporo, Casanare earlier this year that led to the widespread deaths of domestic and wild animals.

The National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) says that hydrocarbons companies must be prepared for the El Nño weather phenomenon, calling on firms to treat water resources with special care.

A devastating attack on a convoy of 23 tankers by the Farc in the beginning of July led to 5,000 barrels of oil being spilled after the guerrilla opened the tanker’s valves, and now the local communities have blocked access to crews trying to clean up the mess.