The state oil company announced possible restrictions due to the various terrorist attacks and blockades that have been recorded in Colombia.
After the alert for jet fuel was lifted this week due to a contingency at the Cartagena Refinery, Ecopetrol reported that Colombia could face a new risk of fuel shortages due to external factors that are affecting its operations.
In a statement, the state-owned company said that the damage would be caused by the attacks on the Caño Limón Coveñas and Bicentenario oil pipelines, as well as the blockades of the transporters' strike and the seizure of the Gibraltar gas plant. All of this, it says, is making the evacuation of hydrocarbons impossible.
“In its commitment to maintain the country's fuel supply, the company has launched a special work plan in coordination with the authorities to address the operational restrictions arising from the disruption of public order that has occurred in recent days,” he said.
Ecopetrol points out that these operational obstacles would also affect crude oil and gas production, also impacting the diets of the Barrancabermeja and Cartagena refineries.
“Ecopetrol's contingency plan has focused on maintaining crude oil and gas production levels, refinery loads and the dispatch of fuels and industrial and petrochemical products, in line with the operational plan,” he concluded.
In the face of the truckers' strike, an agreement has not yet been reached. The Government of Gustavo Petro has remained firm in saying that the price of diesel must increase, since it is the most fiscally responsible way to reduce the billion-dollar deficit of the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund (FEPC).
Transporters, for their part, oppose the measure, arguing that the increase would translate into a significant increase in their operating costs and, in turn, would imply significant inflationary pressure for the country. They propose that Ecopetrol stop selling crude oil at international prices, in order to offset the expense that the nation allocates to the aforementioned fund.
