Colombia opens offshore tracts

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK --Colombia has pre-qualified 11 companies for its current Caribbean exploration round. The Colombian National Hydrocarbon Agency (ANH) has offered 13 blocks with an average size of 290,000 ha (716,603 acres), and expects to announce the award winners on Sept. 18.

The acreage is split between transition blocks, shallow water blocks (up to 330 m, or 1,082 ft, water depth), and deepwater blocks (more than 300 m, or 984 ft). Speaking at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen last week, ANH director Armando Zamora said the best prospects may lie in water depths of around 1,500 m (4,921 ft).

Exploration drilling is about to get under way in 1,000 m (3,280 ft) water depth in the large Tayrona block in the northern part of the Caribbean coast. Here a consortium is hoping to find gas in sufficient quantities either for an LNG facility, or to export to Venezuela for re-injection purposes. Earlier this year, one group made a 1 tcf find in an onshore area close to the Caribbean acreage, Zamora pointed out.

ANH also has been conducting studies into frontier waters off the country's Pacific coast, which will be made available under the Choco frontier round. Analysis of results to date has been very encouraging, Zamora claimed. He added that India's Reliance had already been granted an offshore exploration license in this area, which may lead to drilling in two to three years.

09/12/2007