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blocks in partnership with Ecopetrol, in the Urabá (URA) and Colombia basins.

OGNC’s block lies in the Guajira

Colombia’s (GUA) offshore basin, while Shell

Exploration and Production Colombia

GMBH snatched up one block in the

Latin America

Colombia basin.

promising future

Cabrales Segovia told IHS that

Colombia’s oil and gas industry

The next few years could see major is healthy, with seismic programs steadily increasing over last 5-6 years. investments in Colombian waters and

Exploratory wells have also increased last year’s bid round has independents, to 126 in 2011 from only 20 in 2004, and about 150 wells in 2012.

NOCs, and majors heading to the country’s Caribbean shores.

Exploration

Including new licenses won at the end of 2012, Anadarko has six blocks off

By Audrey Leon

Colombia’s Caribbean coast, total- olombia is South America’s fourth larg- ing eight million acres. Its territory

C est oil producer with 2 billion barrels includes 100% working interest in

Block COL 2, and 50% interest in of proved oil reserves, according to the US blocks COL 5, Fuerte Norte, Fuerte Sur,

Energy Information Administration (EIA). New

Purple Angel, and URA 4, according to regulatory reforms and a close relationship with the US government seem reason the company’s 4Q 2012 report.

Anadarko plans to conduct 2D enough to make investing in Colombia an attractive bet.

and 3D seismic surveys this year,

The country’s national oil company blocks in Colombia: Tayrona (near the and has hired France’s CGGVeritas

Ecopetrol, while 90% owned by the producing Chuchupa feld), RC-11, and to acquire and process a 5,500sq-km government, is also open to private RC-12. seismic survey over portions of the six investment and partnerships with for- Onshore exploration and produc- blocks. Work will begin 3Q 2013 with eign companies. Colombia has invested tion is still king in Colombia. During CGGVeritas using the CGG Viking for in security over the last few years to the country’s last bid round in 2012, the program. The survey is scheduled protect its energy infrastructure, but Colombia’s Agencia Nacional de to take four months to complete; the the country is still at odds with its Hidrocarburos (ANH) made 113 blocks data will be processed in Houston. longest-running rebel insurgency, the available, with only 11 of them located Shell is following a similar plan

FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of offshore. for its deepwater COL-3 block, which

Colombia). A cease-fre with the group Orlando Cabrales Segovia, President spans 5000sq km. The company will ended earlier this year and attacks on of ANH, told James Burkhard, vice conduct seismic surveys before it com- pipeline infrastructure have spiked; president and head of oil market mits to a drilling program. The block the Cano Limon oil pipeline was research at IHS, that the government is southwest of Shell’s GUA-3 block, bombed back in February. had made a concerted effort to spot- which it licensed in 2011.

Despite those woes, companies light unconventionals, with 31 blocks The Ecopetrol and Talisman Energy remain enchanted by Colombia’s having signifcant opportunities in joint venture, Equion Energia, began potential. In 2011, Marcos Mozetic, shale gas. drilling off Colombia last year, encoun-

Repsol Exploration Managing Director, However, of the 11 blocks that were tering dry gas at the Mapale-1 well in told investors that the country is one of offered, six were awarded when the block RC5 last November. Mapale-1 the places where they don’t consider round concluded in December 2012. was the frst offshore well drilled in the political boundaries. Of those 11, fve are considered new “We look at the play – that is frontier basins.

why we went to Colombia – and we The highest bidders on the offshore acquired interest in two blocks oper- blocks were Houston-based Anadarko ated by Petrobas and Ecopetrol as a Petroleum, Colombia’s national oil partner; and we are trying to do more. company Ecopetrol, India’s ONGC

It is a play that most probably will Videsh Ltd., and Shell.

need more resources in the future and Anadarko Colombia Co. will operate we will try to be active in other places one block in the Colombia (COL) basin in the Caribbean, too,” he said. with 100% interest. Anadarko took

Open Round Colombia 2012.

Repsol has interest in three offshore 50% interest in two additional offshore

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