Colombian bid round: old and new challenges
A combination of social disputes and competition from Guyana and Suriname is hampering Bogota’s efforts to attract further investment
Colombia’s state licensing regulator, the National Hydrocarbon Agency (ANH), announced in December the winners of the country’s second oil auction of the year. Blocks 123 and 124 in the Llanos Basin, an oil rich region in the east of the country, were awarded to a consortium headed by Latin American-focused operator Geopark—taking a 50pc stake—with Hocol, a subsidiary of the Colombian state controlled Ecopetrol, holding the remaining equity. The only other competitor for Block 124 was from Canadian firm Parex Resources. Geopark described the expansion of its Colombian portfolio and the acquisition of the blocks, which total an area of nearly 116,000 gross acres, as “attractive, low-risk, hig
Also in this section
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
22 January 2026
As Saudi Arabia pushes mining as a new pillar of its economy, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrocarbons, minerals and industrial policy
22 January 2026
New long-term deal is latest addition to country’s rapidly evolving supply portfolio as it eyes role as regional gas hub
