Ecopetrol crude transport hit by attacks, protests

OREANDA-NEWS. March 16, 2016. Colombian state-controlled Ecopetrol's crude transport network has sustained a row of pipeline attacks and protests at the country's main Caribbean oil port.

Anti-government rebels carried out back-to-back bombings of the 220,000 b/d pipeline in eastern provinces bordering Venezuela.

The line was forced out of service, Ecopetrol said today.

One attack occurred in El Lorito, El Carmen municipality in Norte de Santander province. The second strike occured in Guamalito, Arauquita municipality in Arauca province.

The 770km (478mi) pipeline transports crude to Cove?as port from US independent Occidental's Ca?o Lim?n oil field complex in the eastern Llanos basin and receives flows from the 120,000 b/d Bicentenario pipeline as well.

The military could not immediately confirm which armed group carried out the attacks, but the ELN is active in eastern Colombia's oil regions.

The ELN has continued to launch regular attacks on oil infrastructure while sister rebel group Farc has largely maintained a unilateral cease-fire since 20 July 2015.

In a separate attack on 8 March, ELN rebels hijacked and emptied two crude tanker trucks in San Pablo, Paz de Ariporo municipality in Casanare province, the military told Argus.

The crude belonged to Chinese state-owned Sinopec's Colombia subsidiary New Granada.

While Colombia's government and the Farc aim to sign a peace deal this year, the 2,000-member rebel army ELN continues in exploratory talks and is not part of the peace negotiations taking place in Havana.

President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc leader Timoleon Jimenez have said it is unlikely a 23 March self-imposed deadline for a peace deal will be met.

Separately, violent labor-related protests erupted at the Cove?as oil terminal yesterday, according to a joint statement from Ecopetrol, Ecopetrol's transport subsidiary Cenit and pipeline company Ocensa.

Approximately 90pc of Colombia's oil exports passes through Cove?as.

The companies said Coveas port had activated a contingency plan and that operations are currently normal. Ocensa said there were no delays in oil loadings.