The ANH reserves 19.9 million hectares in 12 hydrocarbon basins

The National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) reserved approximately 19,877,134 hectares across 12 basins in the country to carry out studies and define future contractor selection processes. The decision is contained in Resolution number 0614 of 2026, signed by the entity’s president, Ernesto Forero, and published in Official Gazette number 53,646 on Friday, October 2, 2026. The areas are delimited in the attached maps, which are an integral part of the administrative act.

The resolution is issued based on Decree number 714 of 2012, which establishes the purpose of the ANH—to comprehensively manage the hydrocarbon reserves and resources owned by the Nation and contribute to national energy security—and Agreement number 003 of 2022 of the Board of Directors, which adopted the Regulations for Contractor Selection and Area Allocation. Article 6 of said regulation empowers the entity to classify as Reserved Areas those that it is studying for eventual offering to interested parties.

According to the recitals, the measure seeks to carry out the necessary studies to determine the types of selection processes to be adopted, the terms of reference or rules for each process, the legal business modality, and the applicable contractual conditions. The reserved areas are in addition to those already listed as reserved and correspond to plots that until now appeared as Available Areas on the ANH Land Map.

The twelve basins and their surfaces

• Colombia Basin: 4,748,666 hectares, offshore.
• Llanos Orientales Basin: 3,699,874 hectares, in Casanare, Cundinamarca, Meta, and Vichada.
• Guajira Offshore Basin: 2,538,771 hectares, offshore.
• Sinú Offshore Basin: 2,386,153 hectares, offshore.
• Cordillera Oriental Basin: 2,076,649 hectares, in Boyacá, Casanare, Cundinamarca, Huila, Meta, Santander, and Tolima.
• Sinu-San Jacinto Basin: 1,343,104 hectares, in Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Córdoba, and Sucre.
• Middle Magdalena Valley Basin: 1,054,080 hectares, in Bolívar, Boyacá, Cesar, Cundinamarca, Norte de Santander, Santander, and Tolima.
• Lower Magdalena Valley Basin: 879,855 hectares, in Antioquia, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, Magdalena, and Sucre.
• Catatumbo Basin: 591,625 hectares, in Norte de Santander.
• Upper Magdalena Valley Basin: 371,099 hectares, in Cundinamarca, Huila, and Tolima.
• Chocó Basin: 110,000 hectares, in Chocó.
• Urabá Basin: 77,258 hectares, offshore.

Updated Land Map and entry into force

Article 2 of the resolution orders the publication of the updated version of the ANH Land Map, and Article 3 establishes that the act takes effect upon its publication. The paragraph of Article 1 specifies that the surfaces are delimited in the attached maps, including the Reserved Area in the Catatumbo basin.

The document was issued in Bogotá, D.C., and bears the signature of the president of the ANH, Ernesto Forero. The resolution appears in the resolutions section of the National Hydrocarbons Agency in the official bulletin.

What changes for the sector and the territories

With this reserve, the ANH defines in advance which areas remain outside the immediate offer and which will be studied before opening any selection process. The decision affects the investment plans of oil companies and the expectations of the departments and municipalities included in the 12 basins.

The territorial scope is broad: it touches areas of oil tradition such as Catatumbo, the Eastern Plains, and the Magdalena valleys, in addition to offshore blocks, and involves communities, guilds, and local governments of those territories.

The reserve does not assign contracts or grant exploration rights: it only sets aside the areas while the entity defines the rules for future processes. Any subsequent extractive activity must undergo the environmental procedures and prior consultation required by current regulations.

Source: Official Gazette number 53,646, Friday, October 2, 2026, section I, page 19 (official reference: Resolution number 0614 of 2026).