Attacks on Colombia's Energy Infrastructure

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A recent escalation in militant attacks on oil pipelines in eastern Colombia has taken about 3 percent of Colombia's daily oil production offline, according to government figures. Amid the escalation, Colombian state energy firm Ecopetrol on April 7 declared force majeure on some shipments of crude oil. The renewed targeting of oil infrastructure is probably tied to the ongoing negotiations between Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known by its Spanish acronym, FARC. The rebel group, likely in conjunction with the smaller National Liberation Army, or ELN, is probably using the attacks as leverage ahead of the country's presidential election on May 25.

Although rebel groups have used explosives to target Colombia's oil pipelines for decades, the recent attacks against the pipelines in the Colombian departments of Norte de Santander and Arauca -- combined with protest activity -- have proved particularly disruptive. On April 7, a local oil workers' union announced that Occidental Petroleum Corp. had laid off approximately 500 contractors at the Cano Limon oil field due to a slowdown in oil extraction. That reduction in activity came after the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline was shut down March 25 because of repeated militant attacks (rebels have hit the pipeline at least 18 times since January). Media reports indicate that the field's storage facilities, which have a capacity exceeding one million barrels of oil, are already full.

The Bicentenario oil pipeline, a 230-kilometer (143-mile) pipeline inaugurated in November 2013, was taken offline Feb. 20 after repeated attacks. The closure of the two pipelines owned by Ecopetrol has prevented Colombia from transporting at least 35,000 barrels of crude oil per day, according to government figures. The attacks highlight the FARC and ELN's growing reliance on pipeline sabotage as a means of pressuring the government. With the militants' strength declining, attacks on lengthy and vulnerable oil pipelines -- particularly those close to the Venezuelan and Ecuadorian borders -- will continue. Even if FARC attacks subside once a satisfactory agreement is reached, there is still uncertainty concerning the pace and geographic spread of ELN attacks once talks with that group reach the difficult topic of drug production and trafficking. Consequently, Colombia's oil sector will remain at risk of further disruptions in the coming years as the insurgency attempts to reach a negotiated settlement with the government.

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