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Colombia's ANH plans to hand out 8 to 10 blocks in the Meta province for E&P work in 2007
Petroleumworld
CARACAS
Petroleumworld.com 03 29 07
The Colombian oil licensing government agency National Association of Hydrocarbons or ANH, plans to give out 8 to 10 blocks in the Meta province for oil exploration to private companies before the end of the year, Armando Zamora, the president of the ANH said on Tuesday."We were thinking of doing that in 2008, but we decided to bring it forward because of high oil prices and because of the current interest Colombia raises internationally," said Zamora at a seminar held by Spanish bank Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria.
Additionally, the ANH plans to auction in May as many as 30 small oil blocks in the province of Putumayo, in the Llanos foothills and the Magdalena basin.
"Some of those areas were handed back by companies such as Repsol YPF and Hocol during technical evaluation contracts," Zamora said.
The Meta blocks are close to the producing field of Castilla and Rubiales, where state-owned oil company Ecopetrol currently produces about mpore than 60,000 barrels of heavy crude a day, Zamora, told reporters on Tuesday.
Zamora said several companies from Canada, the U.K and the U.S. have shown interest in the oil fields .
Additionally, the ANH plans to auction in May exploration rights in as many as 30 small oil blocks in the province of Putumayo, in the Llanos foothills and the Magdalena basin.
"Some of those areas were handed back by companies such as Repsol YPF SA (REP) and Hocol during technical evaluation contracts," Zamora said.
Hocol is the Colombian unit of France's Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA (5107.FR).
Colombia added 252 million barrels of reserves last year from mature fields and from newly discovered fields, Zamora said.
Canada-based Pacific Stratus Energy recently announced the dicovery of an estimated 8 million barrels of oil at its Moriche block located in eastern Colombia.
And Russia's Lukoil, two months ago said it discovered more than 100 million barrels of crude oil in the Condor block located in the Colombian Boyaca province in the center of the country.
Ecopetrol and private companies are expected to drill at least 70 wells this year, up from 56 in 2006.
Zamora said recent oil discoveries will further delay the end of the country's oil sufficiency.
Petroleumworld 28 03 07
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