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The USO has said that it has presented a new list of terms to Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) which surround a number of policy changes and increased benefits, stances on several environmental issues, and will hold a vote among USO affiliated workers with the NOC on April 25, 2014, in order to demand a new collective bargaining agreement.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy and the infrastructure unit of Pacific Rubiales Energy (TSX:PRE) have penned the concession contract to build the Olecar Pipeline, another attempt to mitigate the complicated logistical scenario of sending crude to ports in tankers.

Peru’s Mines and Energy Eleodoro Mayorga has announced that the government will eliminate the requirement for environmental impact studies for seismic exploration to encourage investment, a move that could mean more interest in the Andean country over the complexities of seismic exploration in Colombia.

The president of the National Federation of Palm Oil Growers (Fedepalma), Jens Mesa, said a recent resolution from the Ministry of Mines and Energy to fix the price to the biofuel producer is “straight out of a Chavista court”.

A high court ruling has impeded efforts from several municipalities to use a public referendum as a tool against allowing nearby oil production. Local leaders are taking different readings of the ruling.

The General Royalty System (SGR) has been in place for a little more than a year and already there is a brewing discussion as to the effectiveness in the new program, which has oil producing regions up in arms and calling for change.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) issued a statement in which it says that the regasification plant awarded to a consortium headed by Promigas continues forward, and that despite reports saying otherwise, neither it nor the Inspector General has the authority to halt such a project.

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.