BOGOTA,
Colombia, May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol
S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) ("Ecopetrol" or the "Company")
reports that between May 3, 2024 and
May 9, 2024, the Company and its
subsidiaries, Cenit Transporte y Logística de Hidrocarburos
S.A.S. ("CENIT") and Oleoducto Central S.A. ("Ocensa")
were notified of Resolution No. 20884 of April 26, 2024, through which the Superintendency
of Industry and Commerce (SIC) opened an investigation and
formulated charges to determine alleged infringements
to the laws on protection of free economic competition, in
accordance with Article 1 of Law 155 of 1959.
Consequently, the Deputy Superintendent for Competition
Protection of the SIC, ordered: "(…) the legal and natural persons
investigated to publish the below text in a newspaper of wide
regional or national distribution, within the five (5) business
days following the notification of this administrative act, all in
compliance with Article 17 of Law 1340 of 2009, modified by Article
156 of Decree 19 of 2012:
"It is reported that the Superintendency of Industry and
Commerce, through Resolution No. 20884 of 2024, formulated charges
and ordered the opening of an investigation. In this administrative
act, the Delegation formulated principal and subsidiary charges as
follows:
On one hand, the principal charge has been made
against EMPRESA COLOMBIANA DE PETRÓLEOS S.A. identified with
NIT 899.999.068-1, CENIT TRANSPORTE Y LOGÍSTICA DE HIDROCARBUROS
S.A.S. identified with NIT 900.531.210-3, OLEODUCTO CENTRAL
S.A. identified with NIT 800.251.163-0 and HELISTAR
S.A.S. identified with NIT 811.020.344-6, for
alleged infringements to the laws on protection of
free economic competition, in particular, an infringement of
prohibitions of Article 1 of Law 155 of 1959 for the
alleged interference in processes for the contracting
of helicopter service between 2011 and 2023, in the modality of
responsibility provided in numeral 15 of Article 4 of Decree 2153
of 1992, modified by Article 25 of Law 1340 of 2009.
The principal charge also includes charges against MILTON
CABEZA PEÑARANDA, identified with citizenship card No.
88.155.520, CARLO EMMANUEL CABRA MARTÍNEZ, identified with
citizenship card No. 79.396.676, NICOLÁS SEBÁSTIAN MURILLO
ROZO, identified with citizenship card No. 1.013.588.520,
MARÍA ANGÉLICA CUBILLOS BUSTOS, identified with citizenship
card No. 52.057.618 and JOSE FEDERICO ESCOBAR GONZÁLES,
identified with citizenship card No. 15.349.431 for
allegedly having incurred in the responsibility
provided in numeral 16 of Article 4 of Decree 2153 of 1992,
modified by Article 26 of Law 1340 of 2009, because they would have
collaborated, facilitated, authorized, executed and/or tolerated by
action and/or omission the facts or actions constituting the
infringements under investigation, in accordance with the
provisions of numeral 16 of Article 4 of Decree 2153 of 1992,
modified by Article 26 of Law 1340 of 2009.
On the other hand, the subsidiary charge has been made
against EMPRESA COLOMBIANA DE PETRÓLEOS S.A. identified with
NIT 899.999.068-1, CENIT TRANSPORTE Y LOGÍSTICA DE HIDROCARBUROS
S.A.S. identified with NIT 900.531.210-3 and OLEODUCTO
CENTRAL S.A. identified with NIT 800.251.163-0, for
alleged infringements to the laws on protection of
free economic competition, in particular, infringements of
prohibitions in Article 1 of Law 155 of 1959 for their behavior
related to the contracting of helicopter service between 2011 and
2023, in accordance with the liability established in numeral 15 of
Article 4 of Decree 2153 of 1992, modified by Article 25 of Law
1340 of 2009.
The subsidiary charge also includes charges against
NICOLÁS SEBÁSTIAN MURILLO ROZO, identified with citizenship
card No. 1.013.588.520, MARÍA ANGÉLICA CUBILLOS BUSTOS,
identified with citizenship card No. 52.057.618 and JOSE
FEDERICO ESCOBAR GONZÁLES, identified with citizenship card No.
15.349.431 for allegedly having incurred in the
actions described in numeral 16 of Article 4 of Decree 2153 of
1992, modified by Article 26 of Law 1340 of 2009, because they
would have collaborated, facilitated, authorized, executed and/or
tolerated by action and/or omission the actions or omissions
constituting the infringements under investigation, in accordance
with the provisions of numeral 16 of Article 4 of Decree 2153 of
1992, modified by Article 26 of Law 1340 of 2009.
Therefore, in the terms provided by Article 19 of Law 1340 of
2009, modified by Article 157 of Decree 019 of 2012, competitors,
consumers or, in general, anyone who accredits a direct and
individual interest in the present investigation, within fifteen
(15) business days following the publication of the opening of the
investigation on the website of the Superintendency of Industry and
Commerce, may intervene by contributing with the facts and evidence
they intend to assert, to the file registered with No. 23-143730,
which is located in the Superintendency of Industry and
Commerce".
Prior to compliance with this obligation, Ecopetrol and its
subsidiaries will respond to the charges in accordance with due
process, during the time established for such purposes. Ecopetrol's
response will be published through the same means as the above
notice.
-----------------------------------------
Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy
companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000
employees. In Colombia, it is
responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most
transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it
holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution
segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the
company participates in energy transmission, the management of
real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the
international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in
the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in
the United States (Permian basin
and the Gulf of Mexico),
Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries,
Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission
business in Brazil, Chile, Peru,
and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector. This
press release contains business prospect statements, operating and
financial result estimates, and statements related to Ecopetrol's
growth prospects. These are all projections and, as such, they are
based solely on the expectations of the managers regarding the
future of the company and their continued access to capital to
finance the company's business plan. The realization of said
estimates in the future depends on the behavior of market
conditions, regulations, competition, and the performance of the
Colombian economy and the industry, among other factors, and are
consequently subject to change without prior notice.
This release contains statements that may be considered
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All
forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in
future filings or press releases, or orally, address matters that
involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the
Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to
fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently,
changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual
results to differ materially from those included in the
forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our
exploration, and production activities, market conditions,
applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's
competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a
few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update
these forward-looking statements.
For more information, please contact:
Head of Capital Markets
Carolina Tovar Aragón
Email: investors@ecopetrol.com.co
Head of Corporate Communications
Marcela Ulloa
Email: marcela.ulloa@ecopetrol.com.co
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SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.