News and AnalysIs for

The president of the board of directors of the National Hydrocarbons Agency, Alberto Montoya Puyana has resigned from his position, criticizing the policies of President Juan Manuel Santos, which he says have “de-institutionalized” the country.

Colombia’s elections for the Chamber and Senate resulted in nearly balanced figures for the major parties, setting up the need for considerable horse-trading to get legislation passed after the 20^th of July when the new Congress starts work.

The Inspector General’s (IG) office and the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) have halted the awarding of a contract to a consortium led by Promigas to build a regasification plant.

Colombia’s Inspector General (IG) weighed in on the growing list of municipalities that are planning public referendums to approve or reject the extraction of hydrocarbons or minerals in surrounding areas, saying that the use of these resources does not pertain to them.

The Colombian Security Council (CCS) says that its Uniform Contractor Registry (RUC) has contributed to a drop in accident over the last two years and also in the severity of the accidents.

Authorities are considering registering two additional properties as nature reserves, one of which specifically to counteract the possibility of more seismic exploration and exploratory drilling, citing the impact on water resources.

News of the 250km International Pipeline to connect Colombia to Ecuador’s infrastructure caught Putumayo residents by surprise, and their reactions in local press illustrate the complex challenge which is community and industry relations, and the staunch divisions between regions producing oil and those that watch it pass on the roadways.

The National Planning Department is threatening to cut of royalty payments to municipal and departmental entities who received royalties for projects in 2013 but that have not yet filed a transparency report that details how the money was spent.

The National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) has published the draft reference documents and other supporting material for the upcoming Colombia 2014 Round where it looks to assign up to 97 E&P blocks.

Colombia’s Council of State has ruled that a municipal public referendum involving Colombian subsoil exceeds the power of that entity, after Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) challenged a decision by a Casanare tribunal to accept a referendum from the Monterrey municipality.