Offshore Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbons. Logistics Strategy for Barranquilla, a Transforming City

Abstract

The hydrocarbons industry in Colombia has been heavily affected by volatile international prices and the absence of new exploration/exploitation fields. As a result, given the scarcity of the resource and its importance as a source of income for the territory, offshore exploration and exploitation are seen as an alternative. To that end, changes must be made at the normative and technical level, and some cities like Barranquilla (Colombia) are already betting on a local transformation. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the technical, regulatory and academic gaps in Colombia, based on the state of the art on international offshore experience, and to propose a logistics strategy based on benefits and the recognition of the critical aspects of the type of exploitation and the transformation of the city to receive it. It is concluded that, despite the gaps, Caribbean cities — and particularly Barranquilla — are paving the way to become an offshore logistics development platform.