Oil pipelines could become a crucial element in today’s price scenario as companies, will be forced to find ways to lower their operational costs, something which pipelines could offer with greater efficiency than tankers.
The Impala river port in Barranquilla could be as ready as early as the end of January, as the company says it has met its obligations with the local community and even exceeded them. But a lower water level on the Magdalena River could be an issue as the port gets started.
Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) has offered an overview of operations at the Barrancabermeja Refinery, which it says is one of its most important industrial complexes, but did not mention any expansion plans.
Ecopetrol and Hocol have paved stretchs of highway in Meta and Casanare, while in Yopal the local government is requiring escorts for heavy vehicles to reduce accidents. Pacific Rubiales (TSX:PRE) and community members avoided a blockade after police intervened in Casanare. These and other stories in our periodic coverage of road issues related to the oil industry.
Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) transportation spin off Cenit will not move forward with plans to develop the second and third stage of the Bicentennial Pipeline as the company must cut its budget for large projects in the wake of the falling price of oil.
The Ministry of Transportation and national police have announced restrictions of heavy vehicles on 44 different highways in Cudinamarca, Tolima, Santander, Quindío and Meta during December and the holiday season.
The Magdalena River port project being built by logistics firm Impala in Barranquilla is moving forward after ending a strike in November, and is still on track to start preliminary operations in January 2015, says Impala Colombia general manager Alejandro Costa.
Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) dragging of its feet on the modernization of the Barrancabermeja Refinery has put not just the city’s economy on hold, but stunted development in the region, says the thesis of a Spanish researcher.
The Cartagena Refinery (Reficar) project is nearly ready, but not finished yet. The general advance is at 97.6% and construction is at 92.7%. Plus authorities now say that a parallel project to expand the Barrancabermeja Refinery must wait in line for Reficar to finish first.
The National Association of Financial Institutions projects that once the modernization project of the Cartagena Refinery (Reficar) is finished, it could translate into 3.9% annual growth for oil refining between 2015-2020 and lead growth in the production of petrochemicals and plastics.