ACP as a source of information
Source: periodicodelmeta.com
Date: July 22
Headline: Hydrocarbons join the Circular Economy
The hydrocarbon sector embraces the National Circular Economy Strategy promoted by President Duque's Government. Ecopetrol and the Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP) announced their adherence to the National Circular Economy Strategy of the National Government, which seeks to promote new sustainable business models based on the premise of closing production cycles, through innovation, efficient use of water, energy, and materials, and the reuse of raw materials and waste. The Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, structured and launched the ‘National Circular Economy Strategy’ in 2018, making Colombia the first country in Latin America to implement such a strategy, with the hydrocarbon industry being one of the first sectors to adopt it.
Hydrocarbons Sector
Source: El Tiempo
Date: July 23
Headline: Energy surcharges due to deficiencies in the networks have decreased 47%
After last year's surcharges skyrocketed for electricity users due to the unavailability of networks to transport the energy produced by generation plants (in total, consumers paid 1.8 trillion pesos, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy), this year the amount began to fall significantly. (…) The companies that benefit the most from this situation in their accounts, due to the decrease in rates, are energy-intensive companies such as Cerro Matoso, Ecopetrol, Corona, and large industries, which is immediately reflected in their bills.
Source: La República
Date: July 23
Headline: The dilemma of communities. By: Marc Eichmann
The deployment of many sectors of the economy depends on their interaction with the communities where often the rule of law is a secondary factor. It is necessary to agree with them on the development of infrastructure projects such as power generation plants, dams, electric transmission lines, telecommunications networks, or pipelines, at the risk of them never being executed. (…) Recently, electricity generation projects such as El Quimbo, the connection of the submarine cable to Buenaventura, electric transmission lines, and the expansions of gas and oil pipelines have suffered delays due to this phenomenon.
Source: La República
Date: July 23
Headline: The agro-export success of Chile and Peru: what about Colombia? By: Sergio Clavijo
Colombia has been experiencing deteriorations in its external accounts, reaching deficits close to -4% of GDP in 2018, which do not seem to improve in 2019. This behavior is somewhat “unprecedented,” as the terms of trade in 2018-2019 have improved substantially compared to the severe blow received in 2015-2016. In fact, the Brent price will average around US$70/barrel during 2018-2019, above the historical average of US$64 over the last fifteen years; clearly, that is an acceptable price, and it is difficult to continue looking for excuses for the export failure in that.
Source: La República
Date: July 23
Headline: A very brief economic history of Colombia. By: José A. Ocampo
In the early stages of the Republic, the Colombian economy was characterized by a very traditional agrarian economy and the scarce connection between the very diverse regions of the country, two characteristics that persisted for a long time. As in the colony, the main export product was gold, although with a gradual increase in production in Antioquia and a decline in the Colombian Pacific. (…) The basic cause of the slowdown has been a strong and prolonged deindustrialization and difficulties in the agricultural sector to adapt to a more open economy. The major positive change has been the growing importance of the oil and mining sectors, especially the former, which consolidated in the early decades of the 21st century.
Source: La República
Date: July 23
Headline: Law 1969. By: Guillermo Trujillo Estrada
The law was enacted through which the Coffee Price Stabilization Fund is created. It is definitely incredible that just to fulfill a populist electoral promise, Congress approves a law, with all that it implies in terms of time and debates, (…) Another source of funding will be the contributions from the national royalty system. In this case, we will be watching for the reaction of the departments and municipalities when they are asked to sacrifice the works being carried out for the entire community, to benefit a sector that in the department with the most preponderance barely reaches 9% of GDP, as is the case in Huila.
Source: Portafolio
Date: July 23
Headline: Conflict with Iran tightens the oil market
The capture of the Stena Impero demonstrates how easily Iran can obstruct shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. So far, it is a particularly British problem, but if it expands, the implications for oil could be immense. (…) This could provoke Iran to respond with more harassment of transport through the Strait. This would endanger all oil exports from southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar, along with a significant portion of those from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The average was 14.7 million barrels per day in the first six months of the year, and most of that cannot be exported otherwise. Iraq no longer has the capacity to move crude from its southern oil fields to its export routes in the north since its strategic pipeline was destroyed during the U.S. invasion in 2003.
Source: Portafolio
Date: July 23
Headline: There are no paradises to live in the world. By: Mario Hernández
Due to the effect of today's globalization, citizens come and go around the world and that cosmopolitan character is no longer exclusive to the most developed world as it was a few years ago. (…) but for former ministers or former co-directors of the Bank of the Republic to say so is irresponsible, as is the case of the admired economist and columnist Carlos Caballero Argáez, who surprisingly justifies going to Spain because the national government has proposed the idea of buying other public assets with money from Ecopetrol. How exaggerated, Mr. former minister! (El Tiempo, July 20, 2019).
Source: Portafolio
Date: July 23
Headline: French Maurel & Prom, after Amerisur's assets in the country
It took longer for the intention of the oil company Amerisur to showcase its business and assets in Colombia to come to light than for a potential bidder, which would be seriously behind this operation, to be known. (…) The offer was received by Amerisur's board of directors last Thursday, and this Monday, the executives of the British oil company dismissed the transaction proposal, arguing that its operation in Colombia has a higher valuation. (…) with two exploration licenses in the Eastern Cordillera basin (the COR-15 and Muisca blocks), but if the offer is accepted by Amerisur's board of directors, the French oil company would add to its operating portfolio the Platanillo, CPO-5, Putumayo-9, Terecay, Mecaya, Tacacho, Andaquíes, Putumayo-30, Coatí, Putumayo-12, Putumayo-14, and Putumayo-8 blocks, but its production only comes from the first two.
Source: El Nuevo Siglo
Date: July 23
Headline: The trade deficit reached USD 1,641 million this year.
Colombia: large trade deficit in May, despite the weakening of imports. In May, a trade deficit of USD 817 million was recorded (USD 600 million recorded in May of last year), exceeding Bloomberg's market consensus of USD 1,616 million and ours of USD 1,724 million. (…) It is worth noting that export growth slowed in May, due to lower oil exports, due to lower volume and price. With the moderation of global demand and low oil prices, the current account deficit would remain at 4.31% of GDP this year (3.91% last year). (…) External purchases in the group of Fuels and products of the extractive industries, in the period January-May 2019, were USD 2,266.6 million and showed an increase of 37.91% compared to the same period in 2018.
Source: El Heraldo
Date: July 23
Headline: With local suppliers, Ecopetrol generates 340 jobs.
In its third edition, the oil company Ecopetrol, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Barranquilla, Probarranquilla, and Andi, held the Suppliers Summit of the Caribbean Regional in the capital of Atlántico. (…) According to Pablo Gutiérrez Londoño, representative of Naviera Central and supplier of Ecopetrol, “the Summit is an important space because it is the opportunity to share with other suppliers of Ecopetrol, we can talk about topics other than the contractual relationship and share the challenges we have day to day in our commercial relationship and generate trust.”.
Source: La Opinión
Date: July 23
Headline: USD 32,911 million will be invested in Catatumbo.
The Tax Works program, which was approved in 2016 by the National Government, captured this year the interest of a company from Norte de Santander. The Agency for the Renewal of the Territory (ART) reported that Tibú, one of the Zomac municipalities with the highest levels of multidimensional poverty, institutional weakness, and degree of impact from the armed conflict, already has three projects to be developed under this initiative. The company Cenit Transporte y Logística de Hidrocarburos SAS, a subsidiary of Ecopetrol, will invest around USD 32,911 million in the Catatumbo region.
Source: paisminero.com
Date: July 23
Headline: Ecopetrol operates 54 out of every 100 barrels of oil produced in the country.
Currently, the fields operated by the company contribute 53.51% of national production, while five years ago this percentage only reached 36.91%. The oil industry has managed to recover in 2019, proof of this is that production is approaching 900,000 barrels per day again, a figure not reached since May 2016. (…) Currently, other major players in the national oil landscape are Geopark, which in May contributed 7.861% of national production after generating 70,331 bpdc in the fields it operates; Occidental de Colombia, which with 51,853 barrels ranks as the fourth national producer, with 5.81% of the total, and Equion Energía Limited, which represents 4.091% of production and according to the ANH generated 36,595 bpdc in May. Other companies that are currently setting the pace are Gran Tierra Energy, whose operation generated 32,352 barrels in May (3.621%), Mansarovar, which with 25,702 bpdc contributes 2.871%, and Hocol, which generated 19,456 barrels representing 2.171%.
Source: Diario del Norte.
Date: July 22
Headline: Two Venezuelans arrested in Uribia for the crime of facilitating hydrocarbon smuggling.
Within the actions that members of the Police and the National Army have been carrying out in an articulated manner, they managed to capture two Venezuelan citizens for the crime of aiding the smuggling of hydrocarbons in Uribia.
Source: Javeriana Estéreo
Date: July 22
Source: Javeriana Estéreo
Date: July 22
Source: Javeriana Estéreo
Date: July 22
Source: Radio Red
Date: July 22
Source: dinero.com
Date: July 22
Headline: Ecopetrol and Unired open a call for entrepreneurs in the country.
Researchers, entrepreneurs, and university students working on technological projects that provide solutions to operational problems and are designed for environmental care will have the opportunity to participate in the InnóvaTe 2019 call, led by Ecopetrol and Unired. The call consists of five challenges: two of them are aimed at initiatives to improve air quality, and the remaining three seek proposals for rock analysis and inspection of underwater facilities. The winners of each of the challenges focused on air quality will receive resources of 1.60 million to finance the proposal, while the finalists of the other three challenges will receive 45 million pesos each. Those who wish to participate will have until October 11 to submit their proposals. They can consult the process and conditions on the Unired website.
Source: lasillavacia.com
Date: July 22
Headline: Oil companies behind the POT in the Amazon.
The ANH has created a strategy for the national government and oil companies to influence the formulation of the POT in the Amazon. This proposal aims to circumvent Sentence SU-O95 of 2018, which orders the ANH to create mechanisms for municipalities to participate in decision-making at the national level. (…) Consequently, the ANH has been encouraging investment in the formulation of land-use planning instruments by oil companies. This is the case of the company Gran Tierra Energy INC, which signed an initial agreement “to implement a collaborative working mechanism for land-use planning in the department of Putumayo” (ANH, p.38).
Source: panoramadelsanjorge.com.co
Date: July 22
Headline: They will auction gas exploration projects in 20 municipalities in Córdoba
In the coming days, the National Hydrocarbons Agency –ANH- will announce the opening of the auction for at least 6 gas exploration projects affecting 20 municipalities in the department of Córdoba. The projects would be developed in municipalities in the central and northern parts of the department, as well as in the San Jorge region. Last Friday, the governor of Córdoba, Sandra Devia Ruiz, met with the president of the National Hydrocarbons Agency, Luis Miguel Morelli, to learn about the socialization of the projects. (…) The announcement comes after the gas multinational Canacol Energy confirmed a new gas discovery in the Ciénaga de Oro sandstone reservoir in the department of Córdoba.
Source: miradas.co
Date: July 22
Headline: Fracking in Colombia: the battle continues. By Rodrigo Bernardo Ortega
The concepts expressed in this section do not necessarily relate to the editorial line of Nodal. Consider the importance of having a comprehensive relationship with the region. One of the campaign promises of the current president of Colombia, Iván Duque, was the reason why, in the future, fracking exploitation would be allowed. It is clear that everything published, which is fulfilled, but has a 180-degree turn on one of the most controversial and dangerous topics in the world, demonstrates the little independence the head of State has to make his own decisions. (…) In fact, for the Minister of Mines and Energy, María Fernanda Suárez, the country begins to exploit unconventional deposits, energy can be tripled, and oil and gas reserves for 24 years and 30 to 50 years, respectively (4)
Regional News
Source: Extra Casanare
Date: July 22
Headline: Project to lower gasoline prices
Regarding a bill aimed at reducing the price of gasoline in the country and ACPM, Congressman César Ortiz Zorro, co-author, stated: “To achieve international competitiveness, economic sustainability, and agrarian and industrial development, a country needs cheap fuels. That is why we promised to defend our citizens from the unjustified abuses of the Government, which has been frequently and excessively increasing fuel prices.
Source: Javeriana Estéreo
Date: July 22
Source: lareporteria.com
Date: July 22
Headline: When second chances are created, lives are transformed
Ex-combatants who are now entrepreneurs set an example of effort, capability, and commitment to legality. The public-private alliance between Equión Energía and the Agency for Reintegration and Normalization (ARN) that has been created in Casanare results in the support and strengthening of 59 productive initiatives of people in the process of reintegration and reincorporation through the Equión Business Development Center (CDE) and ‘Créame idea incubator’. (…) In this endeavor, the ARN has been joining efforts for four years with Equión Energía, a company in the hydrocarbons sector that has Yopal as its area of influence.
Source: lavozdelcinaruco.com
Date: July 22
Headline: The National Army has prevented 32 attacks against the pipeline in Arauca.
During the first half of 2019, the National Army managed to neutralize 32 attacks against the critical infrastructure of the State in Arauca, reveals the Quirón Task Force. Due to the strong security measures maintained by the Army, a new attack against the oil infrastructure was neutralized, which has recorded 22 terrorist actions against the Caño Limón pipeline in 2019, 13 in Arauca and 9 in Norte de Santander and Cubará in Boyacá. The commander of the Quirón Task Force, Colonel Arnulfo Traslaviña Sáchica, indicated that in military operations, his units managed to neutralize a terrorist action against the Bicentennial Pipeline of Colombia by the Omaira Montoya Henao Commission of the National Liberation Army Eln in the Policarpa village, jurisdiction of the municipality of Saravena.
Colombian Association of Oil and Gas