Last weekend the Arauca Department suffered a number of attacks on public roadways and oil infrastructure after an uptick in activity from insurgent groups operating in the area.
The continued conflicts in the municipality of Acacias and Castilla La Nueva have led to blockades, riots with police and now Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) has terminated 45 contracts associated with projects in the area.
Colombia’s roads have become ground zero for conflicts between the oil industry and local communities, as production rises and trucks increase, so do problems, accidents and rejection of the large tankers. Here are some of the stories hitting press over the last week.
Incidents near areas of interest to the oil and gas industry were up sharply to 39 above recent and long-term averages. Non-Armed Forces-reported incidents were triple the average in absolute terms and nearly so as a percentage of the total. This is our indicator of increased guerrilla-initiated activity. Our 4-week Moving Average incident count was up at 35.3 and the 52 week average was also up slightly at 31.3 incidents per week.
Congressional elections are less than three weeks away, adding another layer of uncertainty over an already clouded view of the peace process. The incoming congress will have to address a number of legal issues regarding the transition process. But who will make up that congress?
Incidents near areas of interest to the oil and gas industry were down slightly to 27 below recent and long-term averages. Non-Armed Forces-reported incidents were below average both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the total. This is our indicator of increased guerrilla-initiated activity. Our 4-week Moving Average incident count was down at 33.8 and the 52 week average was also down at 31.2 incidents per week.
The controversy from last week’s headline’s that government agents were spying on delegates at the roundtable in Havana, Cuba did not spill over into this week, as congressional members look to alternatives to speed the stalling talks.
In the Putumayo Department, 2014 has kicked off with a wave of violence that has cost 30 lives to date, among them three community leaders and an oil engineer, and the region’s representative to the lower congressional house has called for help from the national government and military.
Community protests accusing Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) of not holding up to social investment promises took a violent turn over the weekend, with more than 26 arrests and violent clashes between riot police and protesters.
Incidents near areas of interest to the oil and gas industry were down to 28 below recent and long-term averages. Non-Armed Forces-reported incidents were below average both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the total. This is our indicator of increased guerrilla-initiated activity. Our 4-week Moving Average incident count was down at 38.8 and the 52 week average was also down at 31.5 incidents per week.
2025, Hydrocarbons Colombia, All Rights Reserved.
