Ecopetrol America Inc, the US affiliate of Colombian state oil firm Ecopetrol, announced on Monday it will explore for oil in four blocks in the US Gulf of Mexico, according to Reuters.
It will share exploration rights with US firm Anadarko US Offshore in three of the blocks, offshore Texas, after both firms paid $2.4m. And it will have sole exploring rights in the fourth block for which it paid $2.8m
The Colombian parent company Ecopetrol is one of the 25 largest petroleum companies in the world, and among the four principal petroleum firms in Latin America.
It is also the country’s primary natural gas producer, and owns most of the pipeline network over which Colombia’s gas and fluids are transported.
Also on Monday the Colombian government announced it would remove government ministers from the board of Ecopetrol and other state-controlled companies, with the aim of reducing political interference.
