Colombia’ lower house held a debate on the progress of the Barrancabermeja Refinery, which the local mayor says is close to getting an official start after prolonged delays. The matter will be brought up in an Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) board meeting in June.
President Juan Manuel Santos addressed the stalled peace process this week, saying in an interview with Spanish media that if he is reelected, a peace agreement could be signed by the end of the year.
Pacific Rubiales Energy (TSX:PRE) reported its results from the first quarter 2014, and even though its flagship Rubiales field felt a drop in production, it managed to keep its total production figures on the rise, a sign the firm’s leadership says demonstrates a more diverse production base.
Some of the stories involving Colombia’s new and controversial General Royalty System (SGR) over the past weeks included evidence of improper royalty use in the Arauca and Coveñas municipalities, a dispute between governors and the central government leads to a cancelled OCAD session and MinHacienda say there are regional entities that have forgotten to bill for approved projects.
MinMinas recently released the country’s reserve estimates for crude oil and natural gas for YE2013. The biggest questions are around sustainability for gas.
The departments of Arauca, Norte de Santander and Putumayo have felt the brunt of guerrilla attacks in 2014. As of April 28th, there have been 39 attacks on those departments, while Casanare and Meta face the greatest effect of social conflicts.