Ecopetrol reports that its subsidiary in the United States, Ecopetrol America Inc., was awarded four blocks in Lease Sale 249, a competitive process carried out in that country for the exploration of hydrocarbons in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The blocks awarded were Garden Banks 77, 78, 121 and 122. In these areas there are prospects such as the so-called 'Blacktail', close to production platforms, which would allow, in case of a discovery, obtain early production thanks to the possibility to connect with existing facilities in the area. The proposal to achieve the award of the blocks was led and presented by Ecopetrol America, which has 50% of the participation. Repsol E & P USA Inc will be the operator and will have the remaining 50%. The results were announced by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The award grants the right to the two companies to explore the blocks for five years at an approximate water depth of 240 meters. The new blocks are part of Ecopetrol's exploratory strategy to increase reserves and hydrocarbon production, which has offshore areas as one of its priority areas. Likewise, the incorporation of the 'Blacktail' prospect to the portfolio reinforces the initiative of focusing on prospects close to areas with existing infrastructure. 'We are pleased to increase the presence in areas with high potential offshore the Gulf of Mexico in the United States, where we already have a production exceeding 12 thousand barrels per day, thanks to the outstanding work of our technicians and the partnership with a partner like Repsol , with which we have other exploratory projects in Colombia and abroad,' assured the president of Ecopetrol, Felipe BayÃ³n. Original article link (in Spanish) Source: Ecopetrol 
Repsol (op. 50%, Ecopetrol 50%) was awarded 4 Garden Banks blocks 77, 78, 121 and 122.