This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the establishment of the Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (ANH), the organization credited with rejuvenating the Colombian oil and gas sector. Taking advantage of the improved security situation achieved through ‘Plan Colombia’, the ANH-led restructuring of the oil and gas sector has brought the attention of the international investment community back to Colombia.

From a geological perspective, Colombia may not have the huge reserves of neighbouring Venezuela, but as more of the nation has been freed of conflict and properly explored, numerous smaller deposits have been found which contribute to significant production.

Indeed, it has been an impressive decade, seeing Colombia finally reaching the long awaited one million barrels per day milestone in December 2012. Now the focus turns to maintaining that level of production in the face of aging oil fields and socio-environmental obstacles, as well as the lack of big discoveries.