Colombia’s former Vice Minister of Mines and Energy has been promoted to lead the agency, after Minister Maria Fernanda Suarez submitted her resignation late last month.

Last week, Diego Mesa officially took over the role from Suarez, who had served as head of the ministry for almost two years and was largely responsible for kicking off the country’s renewable energy transition.

Suarez's submitted her resignation at the end of June and Colombia’s President Ivan Duque accepted it. It was unclear why Suarez resigned from her post.

Duque replaced the president of the country’s hydrocarbon regulator earlier this year.

In a recent press release from the ministry, Duque announced a goal to make Colombia the leading country in the energy transition across Latin America and the Caribbean.

"Colombia has the great opportunity to promote a sustainable reactivation that generates investments, employment and that, in addition, guarantees the reliability and energy security of the country," Duque said in a statement.

Mesa is an economist who studied in Canada at Concordia University and McGill University. He has more than 15 years of experience in leadership roles in both the private sector and in government. The new minister served as an economist at the International Monetary Fund and was a manager and chief economist of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Canada.

"We have great goals and challenges ahead, such as the execution of the energy transition, the reactivation of the hydrocarbon sector, electrification and regasification projects, and the diversification of the mining basket, sectors of vital importance for the sustainable and economic reactivation of Colombia," Mesa said in a statement.

Another goal for Mesa will be to continue with the country’s permanent oil and gas auctions, along with ensuring the start of offshore exploratory campaigns. Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell and US independent Noble Energy plan to spud a well called Cumbia-1 in the Col-3 offshore block in the third quarter of this year, after the duo farmed into the acreage in 2019.

Shell also farmed into three blocks—Col-5, Purple Angel and Fuerte Sur—earlier this year with Colombia’s state-run oil company Ecopetrol.

The country’s hydrocarbon regulator, the Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (ANH), last week also announced that it had received five "expressions of interest" from two companies for its annual auction cycle.

The companies have until 30 October to deposit their offers, and counteroffers will be accepted through 17 November. Bids without counteroffers will be awarded on 30 November, while those with counteroffers will be awarded on 15 December.

The ANH is already planning its fourth auction for 2021, although it is under review pending new contractual terms and new areas to be offered.

Politics

Diego Mesa to lead Colombia's Ministry of Mines and Energy