More hydrocarbons found in Gulf of Mexico

BOGOTA, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A Colombian energy company said it was involved in a new oil discovery in the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico, its fifth so far.

A U.S. subsidiary of Colombian energy company Ecopetrol owns a minority stake in the Warrior exploration well. Anadarko Petroleum, which has offices in Houston, is the operator of the well.

The Colombian company said drilling ran through a 210-foot column of oil in the Warrior well, confirming it as a discovery. Ecopetrol CEO Juan Carlos Echevery said the discovery ends the year on a high note for a company looking to build up its reserves.

"This achievement evidences Ecopetrol's ability to strengthen its presence in one of the most prospective areas in the world as is the Gulf of Mexico," he said in a statement.

Warrior is the fifth regional discovery for the Colombian energy company since 2012 and aligns with its strategy of looking for new reserves near existing infrastructure. The discovery at Warrior could be tied into existing production facilities controlled by Anadarko.

Anadarko this week closed on the acquisition of Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas's deepwater Gulf of Mexico assets. Combined with the acquisition and the success of its Warrior discovery, the company said it expects to double its net Gulf of Mexico production to more than 160,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

"Anadarko now operates the largest number of floating production facilities in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, which provides a competitive advantage to leverage this infrastructure into attractive new investment opportunities," Anadarko Chairman, President and CEO Al Walker, said in a statement.

Estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration put total oil production from the Gulf of Mexico at around 1.6 million barrels per day, which represents about 20 percent of the total output.

Production declines in U.S. shale basins brought on by lower energy prices are offset somewhat by projected gains from the Gulf of Mexico.