Colombia's Ecopetrol resumes Cano Sur and Rubiales field operation

Ecopetrol, Colombia's state energy company, announced on Friday that it had begun to resume oil field operations in Rubiales and Cano Sur after reaching an agreement with the local Indigenous association which had blocked the area.

According to the company, the two oilfields, located in the Meta province near the city of Puerto Gaitan, produce approximately 100,000 and 40,000 barges per day.

In a protest, indigenous communities in the region blocked the road and occupied facilities in this area earlier in the week. They demanded land restitution and the recognition of ancestral domains.

Indigenous leaders signed an agreement with government officials on Thursday. They pledged to study their demands and find possible solutions.

In a press release, the state-run company said that following agreements with the Unuma Indigenous Association for the lifting of the blockades work had begun to resume normal operations.

Oil companies in Colombia face a number of issues, including community blockades, protests and delays, as well as threats and attacks by illegal armed groups, such guerrillas. (Reporting and editing by Luis Jaime Acosta)

(source: Reuters)