Otters make a comeback in Tauramena
19 de June de 2025
We make every effort to reduce our projects’ impact on the environment, and give back to nature through the application of new technologies and operating methods.
At GeoPark, we believe that oil and gas can be produced in an environmentally responsible manner with proper care and management. We are committed to implementing the best environmental practices and fully complying with Colombian law. In addition to being reflected in concrete actions, the commitment to our values is shown through certifications that guarantee compliance with the best performance standards, and which drive us towards continuous improvement.
We have an ISO 14001-certified Environmental Management System (EMS) that guides our performance in this area and allows us to identify, prioritize and manage the environmental risks associated with our operation. The EMS has had ISO 14001 certification since 2017, committing us to continue implementing awareness and training programs for our employees and contractors on the efficient use of natural resources and compliance with environmental regulations. It also motivates us to join forces with our neighbors to work on protecting natural resources; explaining the importance and benefits of recycling, and teaching the proper use of water.
We quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all our activities under the specifications of Colombian technical standard NTC-ISO 14064-3: 2006. Our inventory includes direct and indirect emission sources in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol standard (WBCSD and WRI, 2005). GeoPark is the second private sector company in Colombia to have this certification, allowing us to draw up a roadmap to honor the commitment made by the country at COP21 to reduce GHG emissions by 20%.
Our environmental management brings together a series of initiatives for the efficient use of water resources, ranging from reducing water catchment from natural sources, eliminating discharges, and reusing or reinjecting, to the proper and responsible use of the water we consume for domestic and industrial purposes. The optimization of water resources is based on the treatment of wastewater from domestic processes and drilling activities through using reverse osmosis plants, a technology of the highest level that allows us to reuse water in the activities we develop.
In our areas of operation in Colombia, we have installed calibrated and certified flow meters in each water catchment source (surface: rivers, streams, lateral borrow areas; or underground: deep wells). We measure water consumption daily at every referenced site, with all the sources catalogued, and we record the consumption of all the company’s activities. The scope defined for the calculation of our water footprint is the blue water footprint; the consumption of blue water resources (fresh, surface or underground water) throughout the oil production chain. In this way we have included catchment from the Tua river (surface source, lateral borrow areas and underground wells).
We focus our efforts on caring for and preserving the richness of the natural environment of the territories in which we operate.
As part of the implementation of the environmental investments established in our operations’ environmental license, we defined a strategy focused on the protection and restoration of natural habitats. In partnership with the Tauramena Mayor’s Office, the community and the Fundacion Orinoquia Biodiversa (FOB), we promoted the “Valuation of ecosystem services, characterization of biodiversity and wetlands as a baseline for comprehensive management of Tauramena municipality” project. The results of this study will make it possible to establish recommendations for decision-making, land use planning and planning of the use and exploitation of natural resources.
Together with the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) of National Natural Parks of Colombia (PNN), we developed a strategy to identify areas of environmental importance owned by individuals within the Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza, enabling the Company to buy these lands and subsequently donate them to the Park, exclusively for conservation and preservation purposes.
In August 2019, GeoPark donated the 1,968-hectare La Esmeralda natural reserve -which is part of the National System of Protected Areas- to Paz de Ariporo municipality. Its unique flora and fauna classifies the La Esmeralda reserve as a perpetual conservation area.The donation meets the obligations in Law 99 (1993) for companies to invest no less than 1% of an operating area as an environmental compensation measure, and corresponds to the La Cuerva block in Paz de Ariporo.
Support from the National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) and Orinoquia Regional Autonomous Corporation (Corporinoquia) helped us make the donation. Together with GeoPark, these organizations worked in identifying a property with a high ecosystem value that would contribute to the region’s environmental heritage.
We want to be the preferred neighbor and partner, based on a sustainable relationship of learning, exchange and mutual benefit with the local communities where we operate.
Learn more about our performance in our SPEED/ESG 2023 Report