Pacific Rubiales (PRE:TSX), one of the largest oil producers in Colombia, announced this morning that they have received environmental licenses from the Colombian authorities to explore and develop in the CPE-6 and Guama blocks.  The Guama block is a 184,000 acre block located in the Lower Magdalena Valley Basin approximately 100km east of the Company’s… Continue Reading

Billionaire mining entrepreneur Robert Friedland’s new entertainment company, Ivanhoe Pictures, caught the attention of the Globe and Mail last week (Read: Canadian mining tycoon follows Hollywood dream). Former Friedland financier Frank Giustra is acknowledged in the Globe’s article as the other mining mogul moonlighting in the movie business; In 1997, Giustra founded Lionsgate Films, today… Continue Reading

GREENWICH, CT, Oct. 31, 2013 /CNW/ – On October 21st, 2013 FrontFour Capital Group LLC (“FrontFour”) and a like-minded shareholder (the “Requisitionists”) announced that they had served the board of Renegade Petroleum Ltd. (“Renegade”, or the “Company”) (“RPL-V; RPTTF-O”) with legal notice of their requisition of a special meeting of shareholders. FrontFour also demanded the… Continue Reading

Lundin Group company, ShaMaran Petroleum (SNM:TSXV) announced their plans to issue $150 million in senior secured bonds which will be used to finance their future expenditures on the Atrush block in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.  Nordic investment bank, Pareto Securites has been appointed as financial advisor to the offering. The Atrush block is the… Continue Reading

East African oil and gas explorer, Africa Oil (AOI:TSXV) has shutdown two significant oil blocks; Block 10BB and Block 13T.  According to the release, AOI’s operating partner, Tullow Oil has agreed to shutdown activities at these two blocks in Kenya due to local protests surrounding employment issues.  The release notes that this is a precautionary… Continue Reading

The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, has published a story I wrote about Canaccord Genuity’s Global Resources Conference and why four veteran investors (Frank Giustra, Frank Holmes, Randall Oliphant and Paul Reynolds) are optimistic for gold and resources shares. The article is behind the Globe Unlimited paywall, which is worth the $30 per month for… Continue Reading

Core long position Petroamerica Oil Corp. (TSXV:PTA) has provided an update on its appraisal activities in Colombia. What you need to know is that PTA trades at less than 1.5X cash flow currently, the La Casona field will come on stream in November, the La Casona 2 appraisal well is about to be tested, as… Continue Reading

Colombian light-oil producer, Parex Resources (PXT:TSX) has provided an impressive update on its operations in Colombia including raising their full-year guidance to 15,700bopd (up from 15,000-15,500bopd).  The increase to full year guidance comes on the back of impressive production in the third quarter of 16,200bopd and an even more stellar forecast for the fourth quarter… Continue Reading

Colombian-focused oil and gas producer Canacol Energy (CNE:TSX) released the results from their Labrador 5 well located on the LLA23 block.  The well was spud on September 10 and reached a total depth of 10,972ft and hit 55 feet of net oil pay; 13ft in the C7 and 42ft in the Middle and Lower Gacheta… Continue Reading

FrontFour Capital Group LLC and a “like minded shareholder” who collectively control more than 5% of Renegade Petroleum (TSXV:RPL) issued a statement this morning strongly criticizing Renegade’s Board for mismanagement of a strategic process (read: sale of the company), after private attempts to work “cooperatively” with Renegade to “restore the Company’s credibility” were rejected. RPL… Continue Reading

US Global Investors (NASD:GROW) CIO Frank Holmes, the always energetic and insightful natural resources fund manager, made two simple yet profound observations regarding identifying junior resource management teams worthy of your investment dollars during a private conversation at Canaccord Genuity’s Global Resources Conference in Miami yesterday. 1) Junior resource companies operating internationally should always have senior managers… Continue Reading

We had the wonderful opportunity of attending the Canaccord Genuity Global Resources Conference during the past couple of days in Miami, Florida. Canaccord put on a first class event with many of mining and energy sector’s best CIOs and CEOs on hand. Below are some of the key takeaways from the conference: Most miners are… Continue Reading

US Oil Sands (USO:TSXV) has closed its previously announced, oversubscribed $81 million financing and has added a changed lineup of all-star energy entrepreneurs to its board of directors.  USO raised the money from three main strategic investors, Blue Pacific Investments, Anchorage Capital Group and Spitfire Ventures.  Blue Pacific nominated Serafino Iacono (highly successful Colombian resource entrepreneur… Continue Reading

Lukas Lundin’s Africa Oil (AOI:TSXV) announced a $450 million brokered private placement.  The company is issuing 56.5 million shares at $8.25 per share and will be placed on a best efforts basis through Citigroup, Dundee and Pareto Securities.  The company claims to have good support for this financing with its existing shareholders as well as… Continue Reading

Please note: The following are “Exploration” stage companies. Companies with a Resource in Colombia, including Continental Gold, Red Eagle Mining, and Eco Oro Minerals, have not been ranked in this report. The year has been a disappointing one for the BRICs, with China being the only country to bring significant GDP growth to the table. However, with… Continue Reading