ACP as a source of information
Source: Portafolio – National
Date: January 20
Headline: The country will reach 900,000 barrels/day in 2020: OPEC
The good results that have been presented so far by the country's oil reactivation are already generating optimistic estimates from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). (…) Although the National Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy, plans to reveal the year-on-year production of crude oil and gas for 2019 in the last week of January or the first of February, sector analysts estimate that the figure would have been between 870,000 bpd and 875,000 bpd. (…) “The country has managed to maintain a production level close to 900,000 bpd, but it is not guaranteed for the future. Hence the importance of ensuring that the reactivation is sustainable. This will only happen if the relevance of hydrocarbons for Colombia is understood, and if the State, in unison, decides to overcome the structural obstacles that we still have. Measures have been taken in the right direction, but our competitiveness is still fragile,” said Francisco José Lloreda, president of the Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP). Responded in:portafolio.co (January 19), buenaventuraenlinea.com (January 20).
Source: El Colombiano – Regional
Date: January 20
Headline: This year will be decisive for the future of fracking
According to industry stakeholders, 2020 will be key to knowing the outcome regarding the use of fracking for oil and gas extraction in Colombia, a pending issue that, according to voices from that sector, generates uncertainty. The reserves for oil are forecasted for about six more years, while for gas the figure revolves around 11 years. (…) Despite the fact that according to the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) there are active contracts for the exploration of unconventional deposits (fracking) –Drummond (5), ConocoPhillips (2), Ecopetrol (1), and Parex (1)–, there are still recurring doubts. (…) While the decision that will open or not the door to fracking is awaited, the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) received proposals from 20 companies interested in the exploitation of 59 blocks of gas and oil. Image. This is the unconventional process. Source: ACP. Responded in:elcolombiano.com (January 20).
Source: El País – Regional
Author: Francisco José Lloreda Mera
Date: January 19
Headline: To be defined
The Government of Colombia has requested that Cuba extradite alias Gabino, which has sparked a controversy about its viability, given the protection protocol for negotiators, signed with the Eln, in case the dialogues break down. It coincides with the anniversary of the terrorist attack against the General Santander Police School, and the proposal of some and the demand of others, to restart negotiations with that guerrilla group. On April 5, 2016, a month after the dialogues began between the government of Juan Manuel Santos and the leadership of the Eln, the parties and the guarantor countries signed a document that established the procedure to ensure the safety of the guerrilla delegation, in case of a breakdown of the negotiation. Responded in: elpais.com.co (January 19).
Source: El Meridiano de Córdoba – Regional
Date: January 19
Headline: Fracking seems inevitable
The regulation that would define the guidelines for the development of the Comprehensive Pilot Research Projects for unconventional deposits (fracking) could be ready before the end of the first quarter of the year. The soils of Puerto Wilches, Barrancabermeja, and San Martín, in Cesar, are potentially the ones with the largest reserves of unconventional hydrocarbons, and if the draft decree from the Ministry of Mines and Energy is approved on January 20, this area would be the first exploration site. (…) Francisco Lloreda, director of the Colombian Petroleum Association, stated that the exploitation of unconventional deposits would be an alternative for the scarcity of hydrocarbons, as the country only has reserves of five years of oil and eight of gas.
Source: Vanguardia Liberal – Regional
Date: January 18
Headline: In March, there would be fracking pilot lines
The regulation that would define the baseline guidelines for the development of the Comprehensive Pilot Research Projects (Ppii) for unconventional deposits could be ready before the end of the first quarter of the year. The Ministry of Mines and Energy and the environmental table of the Strike Committee, unions, and industry experts are betting that this regulation will move forward before March, while socializations with various sectors of the country are being advanced. The decree, which is currently open for comments and was published on December 26 by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, has a deadline of January 20 for citizens to provide their opinions on the matter. (…) “The fundamental thing now is to continue with the next stages for the implementation of the pilot research projects, which will allow us to obtain environmental, social, and operational information, test the technique in Colombia, and thus make responsible decisions for the country,” added Francisco José Lloreda, president of the ACP. Responded in:vanguardia.com (January 18).
Source: Cadena Melodía – Regional
Date: January 17
Source: hoydiariodelmagdalena.com.co – Regional
Date: January 17
Headline: In the first quarter, the foundations for developing fracking pilots would be established.
The regulation that would define the baseline with which the Comprehensive Research Pilot Projects (Ppii) for unconventional reservoirs would be developed could be ready before the end of the first quarter of the year. After yesterday's meeting between the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the environmental table of the Strike Committee, unions and industry experts are betting that this regulation will move forward before March, while socializations with various sectors of the country are being advanced. (…) Germán Espinosa, president of Campetrol, for his part, stated that this decree brings order to transparency, citizen participation, and the environmental aspect. (…) “The fundamental thing now is to continue with the next stages for the implementation of the research pilot projects, which will allow us to obtain environmental, social, and operational information, test the technique in Colombia, and in this way make responsible decisions with the country,” added Francisco José Lloreda, president of the ACP.
Source: Radio Nacional de Colombia – Regional
Date: January 16
Guild
Source: El Nuevo Siglo
Date: January 20
Headline: No increase in interest rates is expected in the short term.
The cost of money will remain at least during this semester, due to the behavior of inflation that remains within the range established by the Bank of the Republic. Given the behavior of inflation in 2019 of 3.81%, financial markets do not foresee an increase in interest rates by the Bank of the Republic in the short term. Regarding the cost of money within monetary policy, the market expects the current stance to last much longer. (…) The ordinary share of Cementos Argos was the most attractive among those that make up the Colcap. It is followed by the ordinary share of Grupo Sura, ordinary of Ecopetrol, preferred of Bancolombia, and preferred of Grupo Sura.
Source: El Nuevo Día
Date: January 20
Headline: Renew license.
The Government of the United States renewed a license that allows Chevron to continue operating in Venezuela for another three months, as an exemption to the sanctions against the state oil company Pdvsa, which seek to pressure the exit from power of President Nicolás Maduro.
Source: El Nuevo Siglo
Date: January 19
Headline: Unemployment is taking to the streets again...and the agenda
A new national day of demonstrations is called for next Tuesday. The country is on alert. The violent events that shook the country, especially Bogotá, after the strike on November 21, when the riots overshadowed the social protest, seem to have returned with the start of 2020. (…) Days later, and before the year-end recess, the committee members expanded their proposals to 104, which included the release of those captured during the demonstrations and the “political prisoners,” plus the total nationalization of the company Ecopetrol. Regarding this last point, today the State owns 88.491% of the hydrocarbon company, and the rest corresponds to investors and about 300,000 citizens, so the Government does not view this proposal favorably. The protesters also demand the prohibition of the unconventional extraction method known as fracking and that the aerial fumigation technique with glyphosate not be implemented again in the country.
Source: El País
Date: January 19
Headline: Fracking and the future of Colombia
A movement is forming to demand a Colombia without fracking, but it is being done without scientific arguments or serious studies to support its objective. The country, to overcome its backwardness, must grow at least 41%, the potential of our exports corresponds to oil and its derivatives, guaranteeing more than 40% of the total national income from exports. The United States, Canada, Mexico, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, among others, practice this technique for the extraction of these fuels; are they less smart than us? The U.S. was an importing country, now it is an exporter thanks to fracking, but as a group is beating around the bush regarding this type of extraction, it hired Ecopetrol (ironically) to explore in its territory using this technique, only to sell it back to us, considering that Colombia did not want to use its own resources.
Source: Vanguardia Liberal
Date: January 19
Headline: Renew license.
The Government of the United States renewed a license allowing Chevron to continue operating in Venezuela for another three months, as an exemption to the sanctions against the state oil company PDVSA, which aim to pressure the exit of President Nicolás Maduro from power.
Topics
Source: El Espectador
Date: January 20
Headline: Environmental imaginaries. By. Julio Carrizosa Umaña
What are the old complex environmentalists seeking by opposing everything?, they ask me. A short answer might be attempted: we desire three things, at least. (…) Instead of fracking, it would be great if we stopped believing that we could someday be a happy extractivist country and immediately invest in the formation of several high-level research and development groups where scientists, technologists, and entrepreneurs would dedicate themselves to designing clean exporting companies that mitigate climate change, providing us with the jobs and dollars we are going to lose in this decade not only due to the depletion of reserves but also due to the definitive reduction in demand and prices for coal, oil, and gas.
Source: La República
Date: January 20
Headline: Comments in Fracking talk
In the framework of the Great Environmental Conversation where the energy transformation plan was presented, several academics made comments. One that caught attention was that of the still president of Fasecolda, Jorge H. Botero (1944), because he took a stance in favor of fracking and said that the Government must work with sectors outside the administration on this. (GF)
Source: La República
Date: January 20
Headline: And what to replace coal sales with?
The energy authorities of the European Union calculate that 25% of all coal plants should be closed by 2020 in their territory, 47% by 2025, and the last ones should close at the beginning of 2031. The projections come from crossing two variables: community plans and energy market perspectives. The news continues to be concerning because that mineral represents almost 10% of the total trade transported by sea in the world for Colombia. (…) a situation that has turned coal into the second export product after oil, representing 18% of the value of Colombian exports and 77% of mining exports. (…) The companies dedicated to this task have been shifting to oil, gas, and, in some cases, copper. However, the legal conditions in the country are becoming less insecure for a necessary metamorphosis in a highly threatened extractive industry worldwide.
Source: Portafolio
Date: January 20
Headline: Coordination Law is getting tangled
The drafting and study of the Coordination and Concurrence Law, which would open the space for territorial entities not to hinder mining and oil tasks, is getting tangled for the National Government. The reason is that the Executive still does not have certainty about whether the project should be presented as a separate chapter in the law regulating the recently reformed General System of Royalties (SGR), or whether it should go in a separate project. (…) For this sector of the economy, what needs to be drafted is more than just a simple bill; it requires designing new mechanisms for citizen participation, as well as an instrument for all oil and mining activities to be decided in a coordinated and concurrent manner between the territorial entity and the Nation, regarding land and subsoil use. The future regulation, which is the result of a mandate from the Constitutional Court in its Unified Judgment 095 of November 2018, prohibits mayors from calling for popular consultations to halt extractive activities.
Institutional
Source: El Nuevo Siglo
Date: January 20
Headline: Campetrol Tournament
The Colombian Chamber of Oil Goods and Services – Campetrol – organized its traditional Golf Tournament, which brought together executives from the oil and gas industry in Colombia. The event took place at the Bogotá Country Club. In the photo, among others, Gerardo Villela, former president of the Campetrol Board of Directors; Germán Espinosa, executive president; Luis Miguel Morelli, president of the ANH; and Ricardo Ramírez, OFS of Schlumberger.
Source: El Meridiano de Sucre
Date: January 20
Headline: Could be ready in the first quarter
Before the end of the first quarter of the year, the regulation that would define the baseline lines for the development of the Comprehensive Pilot Research Projects (PPII) for unconventional reservoirs could be ready. After the meeting between officials from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and representatives from the environmental table of the Strike Committee, unions and industry experts are betting that this regulation will move forward before March, while socializations with various sectors of the country are being advanced. (…) Germán Espinosa, president of Campetrol, stated that this decree brings order to transparency, citizen participation, and environmental aspects to seek sustainability.
Source: El Nuevo Siglo
Date: January 19
Headline: To import gas. By: Juan Camilo Restrepo
One of the most consistent policies being pursued by the Duque government, perhaps the most coherent, is the energy policy. Its fruits will be seen in the medium term. It receives less media attention than others, but undoubtedly deserves more recognition and applause. (…) Now, in the week that just concluded, the Energy Mining Planning Unit (UPME) of the Ministry of Mines and Energy presented an update of its demand projections until the year 2050, where it concludes the following: (…) The conclusion of these projections is that the country will have a notable increase in its gas consumption in the coming years; consumption that will not be fully met by domestic natural gas production. As its supply begins to decline both in the offshore fields of Ballenas and Chuchupa in La Guajira, as well as in Cusiana and Cupiagua in Casanare.
Source: Semana
Date: January 18
Headline: Why 2024 is a critical year
Gas and oil reserves are depleting and the risk of shortages is growing. The country must find more deposits, build regasification plants, and do fracking. Otherwise, it would enter an energy and economic crisis. Colombia has once again raised alarms about the future supply of natural gas. Indeed, the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (Upme) reported that if demand continues at the current pace, the country will face a deficit in 2024 that would require a substantial increase in its imports. That scenario is very complex because it would affect households, public and private mobility, industry, and the thermal plants that depend on that fuel. Calculations from the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) indicate that in the last decade, proven gas reserves have decreased from 13.5 years to 9.8 years. This is happening because several fields located on the northern coast and in the Llanos are already in the stage of productive decline.
Colombian Association of Oil and Gas