The Canadian international oil exploration and production firm Gran Tierra Energy has announced that it has made a significant new discovery in central Colombia.

Coming just three months after the company started drilling the Popa-2 exploration well in the Rio Magdalena of the Middle Magdalena Basin, tests have pointed to a production potential of some 8.5 million cubic feet of gas per day, in addition to 236 barrels of oil and condensate.

With a 100 per cent working interest in that part of Colombia, Gran Tierra has confirmed that it intends to suspend work at the bore for further testing, while Omega Energy Colombia is to take a 60 per cent share of the company's interest in return for funding drilling and testing costs.

Commenting on the new find, Dana Coffield, president and chief executive officer of Gran Tierra Energy, told Oil and Gas News: "These initial test results from Popa-2 are exciting, confirming a new exploration play initially identified on our lands in 2006. The Rio Magdalena block is a large block near existing infrastructure with numerous leads and prospects for further testing as our confidence in this new exploration play continues to mature."

At the end of last month, Korea National Oil Corp won the right to explore the Llanos field in eastern Colombia alongside Argentina's Pluspetrol and CNPC of China.

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