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Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) officials said during its first quarter 2014 conference call that crews working on the Caño Lion-Coveñas pipeline should have it running five days after starting work, and gave estimates as how many barrels of crude it loses everyday due to attacks.

Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) confirmed that the operational reality on the ground is cutting into its production abilities, which has coupled with increased costs and lower oil prices for a rough first quarter 2014 for the NOC.

The government has received substantial political pressure to lower fuel prices, but Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) says it will continue to produce fuels despite a price that cuts into their margins and in turn, their ability to invest.

In Orito, Putumayo a group of around 100 community leaders, activists and organizers met with Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) to discuss the alleged contamination of local rivers and streams, but considered the NOC’s explanations insufficient.

In order to offer current and potential suppliers an updated panorama into different aspects of the oil industry Ecopetrol has agreed with The University of Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano to create a “Supplier’s University”, and will subsidize the cost during the first stage of the project.

Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) transport and logistics spinoff Cenit has celebrated its first year of operations, and hailed the completion of the Bicentennial Pipeline as the highlight for this first year.

With an eye on the nearly US$10.6B that Ecopetrol has to invest over 2014 in different aspects of its business, the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI) has formed an alliance with the NOC to ensure the hydrocarbons investment plan brings benefits for the sector and oil producer alike.

Peru’s NOC Petroperú has announced it will float 49% of its shares to public markets, opening the state run firm to private capital. What lessons are in this for Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC)?

Investments to meet emissions standards set by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable development have amounted to a CoP52B (US$26.4M) investment into Ecopetrol’s refinery business, only considering the Barrancabermeja Refinery.

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.