Colombia recently signed a deal with South Korea for the development of several oil projects in Colombia. In an email interview, Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas, discusses Colombia's oil sector.
WPR: What is the current state of Colombia's oil sector, including extent of reserves and level of infrastructure?
Eric Farnsworth: Simply put, Colombia has enjoyed an energy renaissance over the past decade. As noted in a recent Americas Society/Council of the Americas report on Colombia's energy sector security is vastly improved and successive governments have placed an emphasis on attracting investment through regulatory stability, open trading arrangements and a new, more competitive framework for oil exploration and production. It hasn't hurt that Venezuela's mismanagement of its own hydrocarbons sector has pushed highly talented petroleum engineers, managers and workers to seek their fortunes across the border in Colombia. Former President Alvaro Uribe set the stage for the current boom. Under current President Juan Manuel Santos, oil production has continued to grow, reaching 952,000 barrels per day in August, up 20 percent from a year ago. Proven reserves stand at nearly 2 billion barrels, and exploration continues at an up-tempo pace.