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Colombia's Ecopetrol reports 29% fall in Q1 net profit, hikes production outlook

Colombia's majority stateowned energy business Ecopetrol on Tuesday reported firstquarter net profit fell 29.1% from a year previously to 4.01 trillion Colombian pesos ($ 1.03 billion), and the business hiked its 2024 production outlook.

Total sales declined 19.4% to 31.30 trillion pesos in the 3 months ended March 31, it said in a filing to Colombia's. monetary regulator, while incomes before interest, taxes,. devaluation and amortization visited a 5th to 14.2. trillion pesos.

We have navigated an environment affected by exterior. variables, with a boost in energy costs, inflationary. pressures, revaluation of the Colombian peso and lower rates of. improved products, Chief Executive Ricardo Roa stated in the. filing.

The lower outcomes follow a 91.7% decrease in first-quarter. net profit reported by Ecopetrol's Mexican counterpart Pemex at. the end of April, which mentioned greater costs and lower sales.

Ecopetrol's first-quarter net earnings came in under the. forecast of 4.73 trillion pesos from analysts surveyed by LSEG.

Production in the first quarter rose to amount to 741,100. barrels of oil comparable per day (boed), up 3.0% from 719,400. boed pumped during the first quarter of 2023.

The company raised its outlook for production this year to a. series of 730,000 to 735,000 boed, up from a previous series of. 725,000 to 730,000 boed.

Earlier today, Ecopetrol told it was examining. its potential involvement in the Andean nation's first-ever. offshore wind auction.

The federal government of President Gustavo Petro, Colombia's very first. leftist leader, wants to wean the Andean nation off its. dependence on nonrenewable fuel sources while transitioning to greener. sources of energy and has actually not released any brand-new oil and gas. licenses.

However, Ecopetrol is advancing talks with Colombia's. National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) over possible expedition. and production chances, including three contracts. presently under technical assessment in the Magdalena Medio. area, Roa stated.

Ecopetrol is already participating in a variety of eco-friendly. energy jobs, consisting of green hydrogen pilots in addition to. powering a few of its operations with solar energy.

(source: Reuters)