Colombia Holds Gasoline at US$4.87 a Gallon in October

Oil prices rose 2.55% to $147.58 as Hurricane Isaias shut 1.28M bpd of US Gulf production. Petrobras gained 2.92% to $24.69, Ecopetrol 1.86% to $16.94, YPF 0.85% to $49.90. OPEC+ kept Nov targets unchanged. WTI settled at $91.49, Brent at $104.28. Supply disruptions and Trump's Iran post influenced markets.

Petrobras ADR rose 3.2% to $21.65 as G7 announced a release of 100 million barrels of diesel and crude. Ecopetrol and YPF also gained, despite a 1.77% drop in the US Oil Fund tracking WTI. The move was driven by political intervention to ease fuel market shortages.

Ecopetrol S.A. received COP 573.108 billion from the Colombian government for outstanding FEPC receivables for Q3 and Q4 2025. The payment was made via Treasury Bonds, with the total amount allocated to Ecopetrol and Reficar. This payment is part of efforts to strengthen the Ecopetrol Group.

Ecopetrol, Colombia's state oil company, appointed Joaquín Gutiérrez Caballero as its new president on 24 September. Gutiérrez, a close ally of President Abelardo de la Espriella, has no oil industry experience. Ecopetrol's profits have declined for three consecutive years, with 2025 net income dropping 39.5% to COP 9 trillion (US$2.7 billion). The company's shares trade in Bogotá and New York.

Ecopetrol, Colombia's state-controlled oil company, appointed Carlos Suarez as board chairman. Suarez, a political strategist, replaces Luis Henao, who now chairs the governance committee. Ecopetrol reported Q2 net income of $1.9B, up 235% YoY, but output fell 6.6%. The company faces leadership changes and political shifts affecting its exploration strategy.

Brent and WTI crude oil prices rose 2.9% and 4.4% respectively due to a Saudi pipeline outage. USO, a WTI-tracking fund, gained 3.32%. Petrobras, Ecopetrol, and YPF shares increased 2.93%, 2.93%, and 2.27% respectively. The outage disrupted 4-5 million barrels per day, impacting global supply.