The Tabasco Oil company, which is majority owned by the investment group of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, Grupo Carso, says it has discovered oil in an exploration block in northeastern Colombia. However, difficult community relations may limit their ability to fully exploit the opportunity.
Delays in environmental licensing are seen as the main cause in an 8% drop in rentals of perforating drills in January-May 2013.
Oil extractor Equion has refuted accusations from the community action board president of El Morro, Jorge Castro, saying that it is complying with environmental measures to protect the water and that no one has invested more in the roads than it has.
The General Royalty System (SGR) and the National Planning Department (DNP) have issued a string of nearly daily announcements in June detailing advancements and approval of projects that will receive funding using the royalty system.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos visited the city of Villavicencio in the Meta Department and called for a balance between oil production and the environmental and social needs of the community.
Colombia’s Unidad Nacional political party has put assistance to community mayors in obtaining funds from the General Royalty System (SGR) on the agenda, with a senior member suggesting changes might be needed at a congressional level.