Emerald Energy has suspended oil operations in Colombia’s south western department of Caqueta following a succession of guerrilla attacks, Radio Caracol announced Tuesday.
The company has decided to stop work in the San Vicente del Caguan field after repeated attacks over more than a year, allegedly carried out by the FARC’s Teofil Foreo Mobile Column.
The guerillas’ attacks on production facilities, refining sites and trucks have resulted in substantial economic losses for Emerald Energy. The company has been targeted eight times in the last six months as guerrillas intensify their anti-oil operations.
The multinational corporation says it refuses to be extorted by the guerrillas and will not resume operations unless the security situation improves.
Emerald Energy is a UK-based subsidiary of the Chinese owned Sinochem Group.