Published on May 12, 2012 by Panorama Industrial Magazine (Engineering, Industries, Mining, Energy, Processes)
Energy companies from China and representatives of the government of that country expressed their interest in purchasing Colombian metallurgical coal, given its high calorific value, reported the Minister of Mines and Energy, Mauricio Cárdenas, who is accompanying the President of the Republic, Juan Manuel Santos, on a state visit to the Asian nation.
In a meeting with Chinese companies, President Juan Manuel Santos indicated that Colombia could maintain oil production close to two million barrels. “We are going to reach one million barrels a day very soon, and if we manage to keep up with the pace of exploration and finding oil in the future, as we have found in the past, we will be able to multiply that million to one million and a half or two million barrels. That will put us in a very privileged position as oil exporters,” Santos said.
This Thursday, Minister Cárdenas met in Beijing with the president of the National Development and Reform Commission, Zhang Ping, and with representatives of the China Energy and Gas Bureau.
Minister Mauricio Cárdenas also participated in the Colombia – China Business forum, in the city of Beijing, which was organized by Proexport. At this meeting, the interest of Chinese oil, mining and service companies that want to establish business with Colombia was revealed.
“In terms of coal, there is more interest in metallurgical coal, which is produced in Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Santander. This is a mineral that has great calorific value and a high price in the international market,” said the head of the mining-energy portfolio.
One of the strategic issues discussed within the framework of the meetings has to do with the infrastructure for transporting minerals, particularly a railway that takes coal from the center of the country to the ports. According to Minister Cárdenas, this is a strategic issue of maximum public interest, and in that sense, he has been in talks with the China Development Bank and the China Investment Corporation to participate in the development of this project.
Added to this initiative is a preliminary agreement signed on Wednesday with the China Development Bank to provide financing for an ambitious project to transport crude oil through the Pacific Pipeline. With this infrastructure, the aim is for Venezuelan and Colombian oil to be exported to China and other Asian markets.
(The Spectator)