In 2022, the Refinery is operating at full speed, its expansion and modernization process had and continues to have an important impact for the nation, in terms of the production of clean fuels, boosting the growth of the Caribbean region and Colombia, and strategic energy self-sufficiency in regional and global geopolitics.

In this sense, the Cartagena Refinery contributes to Colombia's energy security, especially at a time of increased interests in hydrocarbons, derived from the Ukraine-Russia conflict. On the other hand, currently, the Cartagena Refinery completely supplies the nation with diesel, a product that is the engine of the Colombian economy since the transportation of products and raw materials in the country is done in vehicles and tractor-trailers, which use this fuel.

The Industrial plant of the Cartagena Refinery is intended for the refining of oil in order to obtain fuels, industrial gases and industrial products for both national and international consumption. Currently Cartagena exports approximately 30% of its production to the international oil market; It has a cracking type configuration, it is a deep conversion refinery due to its capacity to process heavy crude oil and its high conversion rate, it currently processes crude oil to generate gasoline, virgin naphtha, kerosene, diesel, atmospheric Jet diesel, polypropylene, ethylene, LPG coke and, sulfur and arotar. The products are consumed locally and exported.

The expansion and modernization was put into operation in 2016. The Refinery was under a strict schedule of stabilization and gradual increase of its production, until December 6, 2017, when the global performance test was successfully completed, which consisted of a period of 60 days during which its 34 units operated according to their design parameters, in a synchronized manner and without process safety or environmental incidents, during this period it reached an average load of 144,000 barrels. oil diaries.

During 2017, 70% of the Refinery's production was destined for national consumption and 30% for exports. The new Cartagena Refinery is an icon of the national industry, and a valuable productive asset for the Nation, which introduced Colombia into the era of safe, modern and state-of-the-art refining.[4]​.

The aggregate economy of Cartagena, between Petrochemical activity, and Port and Shipping products from exports, totaled a little more than $21 billion in income, according to the most recent information from the Cartagena Chamber of Commerce. Which puts these activities at the head of the economy of Cartagena and the department of Bolívar, far above tourist and hotel activities.[8]​.

The contribution of the Cartagena Refinery to the supply of the national market during 2021 was significant, providing 19% of the diesel consumed in the country and 21% of gasoline. Thanks to the Cartagena Refinery, the country did not have to import fuel for approximately US$2,778 million, during that same year and US$8 million were generated for the nation and US$21 million for the city of Cartagena.[9]​.

Total sales reached 4,104 MUSD, of which 70% were local sales (mostly diesel and gasoline) and the remaining 30% represented in exports for more than 1,200 MUSD (Mostly diesel).

In 2021, the EBITDA record remained at US$57 million in October and the record year at US$173 million.

The contribution of the Cartagena Refinery to the economic reactivation was significant, since it strengthened education services in the city of Cartagena and contributed to the hiring of local labor (100% local and 705 unskilled).[10]​.

On November 2, 2007, it was approved to authorize the contracting of the EPC of the project with Chicago Bridge and Iron Company (CB&I) based on its ability to carry out the project in the determined time and cost, considering its extensive experience in energy sector projects and in refining unit upgrades. Information that was evaluated during the selection process.

However, during 2012, early warnings were generated by the Cartagena Refinery against the contractor and evidence began to be gathered to demonstrate the delays and poor planning in the execution of the project, by CB&I, such as poor estimates, scope changes that impacted the execution of the project, engineering delays and greater quantities. Which is why the scenario of terminating the contract was even raised. However, it was decided not to terminate the contract with CB&I, due to the economic implications such as the impact on the supply of fuel demand at the national level, as well as the legal implications for moving the initiative forward.

Since 2012, due diligence and interest in defending the interests of the company and the nation have been present in the actions of Refinería de Cartagena. The Colombians and the Cartagena refinery were harmed by a foreign contractor, in an EPC contract (which means Engineering, Purchasing and Construction) for the modernization and expansion of the refinery; which had as a contractual obligation, under its promise of value, the construction and start-up of the refinery and ended up failing to comply with what was agreed in the contract.

Cartagena Refinery, presented on March 8, 2016, a request before the International Chamber of Commerce to initiate an arbitration process against the North American company Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V., CB&I, in charge of carrying out the expansion and modernization of the refinery.[11]​.

During the arbitration process, it is intended to demonstrate that CB&I was aware that the project would cost more, but harmed Reficar and Ecopetrol by not fulfilling its promise of initial value.

CB&I answered the request and filed a counterclaim (legal claim exercised by the defendant, in the same judicial process), against Refinería de Cartagena and is currently awaiting the award.

For this process, Colombia has the best lawyers that could have been obtained for the arbitration litigation against CB&I.[12]​ This is KIing and Spalding (K&S), the law firm that Refinería de Cartagena hired to bring the lawsuit against the contractor. K&S has represented giants the size of Chevron and has managed to defeat Hasbro, the Ecuadorian government and Pemex, among others, in court. In addition to representing companies such as Shell, Occidental Petroleum Company OXY, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, ExxonMobil and Marathon Oil. And in Colombia it currently has the support of the firm Suscún Abogados, recognized inside and outside the country.

• - Annex:Oil Refineries").

• - Annex: Colombian oil refineries.

With an investment of $33 million dollars, it was built in 1957 by Intercol and then acquired in 1974 by Ecopetrol and was subjected to a major modernization and expansion that cost close to $6.5 billion. These works were inaugurated on October 21, 2015. In this expansion, its refining capacity was increased to 165,000 barrels of oil per day, which was previously 75,000 barrels per day. It energized the economy of the region by converting the industrial sector into the main economic activity of the city of Cartagena and the department of Bolívar.[7]​.

The Cartagena Refinery is today a large industrial and refining complex, vital for the industry and the national economy, the country's energy security and the production of clean fuels.[4]​.

Its origin dates back to 1957 when it was built by Exxon, as a fuel refining complex to supply the demand of the Caribbean Coast. Then, in 1974 it was acquired by Ecopetrol.

At the end of the 90s, the national government warned that the country needed to improve its refining capacity and that international and national demand for fuels demanded more efficient and environmentally friendly products.

The decision to expand and modernize the Cartagena Refinery, which had a loading capacity of 80 thousand barrels per day, occurred at a cyclical moment, when medium conversion refineries were being closed around the world - such as this one, which transformed 74% of a barrel of crude oil into valuable products.

It was then considered that modernizing it was a strategic project for the Nation, among other reasons, because in this way fuel imports were reduced. Before the Cartagena Refinery, Colombia sold oil and imported diesel and other fuels, which has been reduced with the entry into operation of the refinery.

After titanic efforts of more than 34 thousand workers, 95% of them Colombians, and overcoming multiple obstacles, the new Cartagena Refinery received the first load of crude oil, on October 21, 2015, when President Juan Manuel Santos opened the valve of the Crude Unit. And the first refined production occurred on November 10, 2015, with a load of 90,000 barrels that were transformed into diesel, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and aviation fuel (Jet). Progressively, one by one, all the units came into operation, a process that was completed on July 11, 2016.[4]​.

Today Colombia has a high conversion refinery in operation with a loading capacity of 150 thousand barrels per day, which transforms 97.5% of a barrel of crude oil into valuable products and converts 2.5% into coke and sulfur, which are used in the steel and agrochemical industries, respectively.

The fuels produced by the Cartagena Refinery are the cleanest in the history of Colombia: Export diesel with up to 10 ppm, which meets the most demanding international standards, and gasoline with between 80 and 100 ppm of sulfur, when the standard requires it to be 300 ppm.

The new Cartagena Refinery is an icon of the national industry, and a valuable productive asset for the Nation, which introduced Colombia into the era of safe, modern and state-of-the-art refining.

Currently it is a refining industrial complex made up of 34 units, with an area of ​​140 hectares, the same space that 280 soccer fields together would occupy, which makes better use of nationally produced crude oil as well as international ones to transform them into clean and efficient products.

Today, all Colombians can proudly say that we have the most modern Refinery in Latin America, an example of the energy of our Caribbean region and the pride of an entire country.

In 2022, the Refinery is operating at full speed, its expansion and modernization process had and continues to have an important impact for the nation, in terms of the production of clean fuels, boosting the growth of the Caribbean region and Colombia, and strategic energy self-sufficiency in regional and global geopolitics.

In this sense, the Cartagena Refinery contributes to Colombia's energy security, especially at a time of increased interests in hydrocarbons, derived from the Ukraine-Russia conflict. On the other hand, currently, the Cartagena Refinery completely supplies the nation with diesel, a product that is the engine of the Colombian economy since the transportation of products and raw materials in the country is done in vehicles and tractor-trailers, which use this fuel.

The Industrial plant of the Cartagena Refinery is intended for the refining of oil in order to obtain fuels, industrial gases and industrial products for both national and international consumption. Currently Cartagena exports approximately 30% of its production to the international oil market; It has a cracking type configuration, it is a deep conversion refinery due to its capacity to process heavy crude oil and its high conversion rate, it currently processes crude oil to generate gasoline, virgin naphtha, kerosene, diesel, atmospheric Jet diesel, polypropylene, ethylene, LPG coke and, sulfur and arotar. The products are consumed locally and exported.

The expansion and modernization was put into operation in 2016. The Refinery was under a strict schedule of stabilization and gradual increase of its production, until December 6, 2017, when the global performance test was successfully completed, which consisted of a period of 60 days during which its 34 units operated according to their design parameters, in a synchronized manner and without process safety or environmental incidents, during this period it reached an average load of 144,000 barrels. oil diaries.

During 2017, 70% of the Refinery's production was destined for national consumption and 30% for exports. The new Cartagena Refinery is an icon of the national industry, and a valuable productive asset for the Nation, which introduced Colombia into the era of safe, modern and state-of-the-art refining.[4]​.

The aggregate economy of Cartagena, between Petrochemical activity, and Port and Shipping products from exports, totaled a little more than $21 billion in income, according to the most recent information from the Cartagena Chamber of Commerce. Which puts these activities at the head of the economy of Cartagena and the department of Bolívar, far above tourist and hotel activities.[8]​.

The contribution of the Cartagena Refinery to the supply of the national market during 2021 was significant, providing 19% of the diesel consumed in the country and 21% of gasoline. Thanks to the Cartagena Refinery, the country did not have to import fuel for approximately US$2,778 million, during that same year and US$8 million were generated for the nation and US$21 million for the city of Cartagena.[9]​.

Total sales reached 4,104 MUSD, of which 70% were local sales (mostly diesel and gasoline) and the remaining 30% represented in exports for more than 1,200 MUSD (Mostly diesel).

In 2021, the EBITDA record remained at US$57 million in October and the record year at US$173 million.

The contribution of the Cartagena Refinery to the economic reactivation was significant, since it strengthened education services in the city of Cartagena and contributed to the hiring of local labor (100% local and 705 unskilled).[10]​.

On November 2, 2007, it was approved to authorize the contracting of the EPC of the project with Chicago Bridge and Iron Company (CB&I) based on its ability to carry out the project in the determined time and cost, considering its extensive experience in energy sector projects and in refining unit upgrades. Information that was evaluated during the selection process.

However, during 2012, early warnings were generated by the Cartagena Refinery against the contractor and evidence began to be gathered to demonstrate the delays and poor planning in the execution of the project, by CB&I, such as poor estimates, scope changes that impacted the execution of the project, engineering delays and greater quantities. Which is why the scenario of terminating the contract was even raised. However, it was decided not to terminate the contract with CB&I, due to the economic implications such as the impact on the supply of fuel demand at the national level, as well as the legal implications for moving the initiative forward.

Since 2012, due diligence and interest in defending the interests of the company and the nation have been present in the actions of Refinería de Cartagena. The Colombians and the Cartagena refinery were harmed by a foreign contractor, in an EPC contract (which means Engineering, Purchasing and Construction) for the modernization and expansion of the refinery; which had as a contractual obligation, under its promise of value, the construction and start-up of the refinery and ended up failing to comply with what was agreed in the contract.

Cartagena Refinery, presented on March 8, 2016, a request before the International Chamber of Commerce to initiate an arbitration process against the North American company Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V., CB&I, in charge of carrying out the expansion and modernization of the refinery.[11]​.

During the arbitration process, it is intended to demonstrate that CB&I was aware that the project would cost more, but harmed Reficar and Ecopetrol by not fulfilling its promise of initial value.

CB&I answered the request and filed a counterclaim (legal claim exercised by the defendant, in the same judicial process), against Refinería de Cartagena and is currently awaiting the award.

For this process, Colombia has the best lawyers that could have been obtained for the arbitration litigation against CB&I.[12]​ This is KIing and Spalding (K&S), the law firm that Refinería de Cartagena hired to bring the lawsuit against the contractor. K&S has represented giants the size of Chevron and has managed to defeat Hasbro, the Ecuadorian government and Pemex, among others, in court. In addition to representing companies such as Shell, Occidental Petroleum Company OXY, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, ExxonMobil and Marathon Oil. And in Colombia it currently has the support of the firm Suscún Abogados, recognized inside and outside the country.

• - Annex:Oil Refineries").

• - Annex: Colombian oil refineries.