Energy & Utilities

The Colombian energy sector can look forward to increased investment in 2017 and 2018. With a crisis in the electricity sector narrowly avoided, the government is reassessing its strategy to improve energy security. In the hydrocarbons segment, 2017 will see major investments in offshore exploration, which represents the best possibility for the country to maintain energy self-sufficiency, especially with an additional 1500 km of barely explored Pacific coastline. A restructured Ecopetrol operating on a more cost-conscious basis will also provide revenues for the Colombian state as it looks to implement its post-conflict energy policies. This chapter includes interviews with Francisco José Lloreda, President, Colombian Petroleum Association; and Bernardo Vargas Gibsone, President, Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA).