The largest foreign oil company in Colombia, Pacific Rubiales, on Tuesday reported record oil and gas production in the first quarter of 2013.
Pacific Rubiales’ reported successes have arrived on the back of a year in which Colombia experienced high levels of foreign direct investment in the energy sector.
“I am pleased with this very strong operational start to the year. We expect net after royalty production in the first quarter to be… an increase of 30% from average 2012,” said Company President Ronald Pantin in a press release.
Pantin said the company has planned to restructure operations in the near future, hoping to reduce costs by $3-4 billion.
With reduced costs, Pacific Rubiales is optimistic about future results. Pantin expects that production costs will decrease signficantly with the establishment of a power transmission line. The line should connect production sites and therefore lower energy costs.
Transportation costs are also likely to decrease as well, as the company plans to put more faith in pipeline transport instead of moving products by way of costly overland trucking.
Though a main driver of the Colombian economy, Pacific Rubiales has not enjoyed its continued success without being accused of highly questionable conduct. The company has come under attack by unionists for allegedly creating their own union in order to cut the legs from under Colombia’s national oil workers union, the USO.
MORE: Canada’s Pacific Rubalies ‘abuses Colombia workers’ rights’
In 2012, USO union president Rodolfo Vecino told Colombia Reports that the company’s behavior was aimed at preventing workers from “fighting for their rights.” NGO, Proyecto Gramalote, supported the claims. Pacific Rubiales chose not to respond to the dispute.
MORE: ‘Pacific Rubiales denies workers rights to organize’ :NGO
Founded in 2004 by a cohort of Canadian and Venezuelan businessmen, Pacific Rubiales is one of the largest players in Colombia’s oil and gas boom. It has a $6.7 billion market capitalization and trades on the Toronto stock exchange.
Sources
- 2013 Q1 Operations Update (Pacific Rubiales Energy Press Release)
- How two friends made a fortune in Colombia and expect to do it again (Business Insider)
