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The Minister of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) Amylkar Acosta paid a visit to the Casanare Department  to outline an agreement and to dialogue, while the local authorities had plenty of questions and requests for the official to improve the situation in this oil producing region.

The 2014 Colombia Round is slated to start receiving bids this month, and the president of the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) says everything is looking good so far. He also talks about the competition that the round faces globally to attract interested investors.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) says that international fuel prices and instability in Iraq have forced fuel prices at the pump upwards for July 2014, while diesel remains stable.

The Minister of Mines and Energy Amylkar Acosta says the government is putting the contraband fuel business in its cross hairs and promises to go after the mafia leading this illicit industry.

Government officials are meeting in the President’s office to form a new strategy to confront the problems that are cutting into average crude production figures, meanwhile the value of government bonds has already taken a dive as a result.

We originally thought it was just Pacific Rubiales (TSX:PRE) that had taken its shareholders on a ride this month but a closer look shows Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) on somewhat the same journey.

Led by the Governor of Casanare Marco Tulio Ruiz and the director of social responsibility for the Colombian Petroleum Association, Miguel Angel Santiago, members of the Casanare Oil Industry Committee (CINPAC) met to evaluate the advances of a social investment agreement for 2013-2014.

A poll of 20 different industry associations in Colombia found that that more than half want to see the Finance Minister (MinHacienda) Mauricio Cardenas continue in his role, with similar support for the Minister of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) Amylkar Acosta and the Commerce Minister Santiago Rojas.

An academic review of hydrocarbons and mining sectors and their role in Colombia’s post-conflict era expects the industries to be highly controversial, but says that there is existing legalization to deal with the issues and that the benefit to the economy is too great to stop the train.

There is much cause for concern that Colombia’s crude oil production peaked in August 2013 and has declined since that time. Here is another look at the issue which suggests the problems are limited not widespread.