Colombia has published the terms of reference for its hydraulic fracturing (fracking) pilots and will award contracts to four projects by the end of this month.

According to a reference document published in October by the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), the most “favorable” four projects will be picked from those taking part in the bidding process. Read the document, in Spanish, here. 

The pilots in the Middle Magdalena and Cesar Ranchería basins will serve as a technical, operational and environmental assessment of fracking in Colombia. From there, the government can make a definitive decision and adopt a policy on the drilling technique.

Previously, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, along with Colombia’s state oil company Ecopetrol SA, expressed formal interest in...