SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
July 2012
Commission File Number: 333-153452
ECOPETROL S.A.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)
Carrera 7 No. 37 – 69
BOGOTA – COLOMBIA
(Address of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
| Form 20-F | x | Form 40-F | o |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
| Yes | o | No | x |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
| Yes | o | No | x |
Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
| Yes | o | No | x |
If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- N/A
Board of Directors of Ecopetrol S.A. Authorizes Transfer of Shares to Cenit Transporte y Logistica de Hidrocarburos S.A.S.
Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC; TSX: ECP) reports that its Board of Directors, in a meeting held on July 13, 2012, authorized the following transfers of shares:
| 1. | Transfer of all Ecopetrol S.A. shares in Oleoducto Central S.A. (Ocensa) to Cenit Transporte y Logistica de Hidrocarburos S.A.S. ("Cenit"). |
| 2. | Transfer of all Ecopetrol S.A. shares in Oleoducto de Colombia S.A. (ODC) to Cenit. |
| 3. | Transfer of all Ecopetrol S.A. shares in Oleoducto Bicentenario S.A.S. to Cenit. |
| 4. | Transfer of all Ecopetrol S.A. shares in ODL Finance S.A. to Cenit. |
| 5. | Transfer of all Ecopetrol S.A. shares in Serviport S.A. to Cenit. |
| 6. | Transfer of all Ecopetrol S.A. shares in Ecopetrol Pipelines International Limited to Cenit. |
This authorization was announced as a follow-up to the decision taken by the Board of Directors of Ecopetrol S.A. on June 15, 2012 to create Cenit, a subsidiary company fully owned by Ecopetrol, specialized in hydrocarbon transport and logistics in Colombia.
The transfer of the shares of Ecopetrol S.A. in these companies will facilitate the fulfillment of Cenit's corporate purpose and meet the national oil industry's growing needs resulting from the increase in hydrocarbon production and increased sales of crude and refined products, both in Colombia and to international markets.
Bogota, Colombia – July 14, 2012
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Ecopetrol is Colombia’s largest integrated oil & gas company, where it accounts for 60% of total production. It is one of the top 50 oil companies in the world and the fourth largest oil company in Latin America. The Company is also involved in exploration and production activities in Brazil, Peru and the United States Gulf Coast, and owns the main refineries in Colombia, most of the network of oil and multiple purpose pipelines in the country, petrochemical plants, and is entering into the biofuels business.
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the prospects of the business, estimates for operating and financial results, and those related to growth prospects of Ecopetrol. These are merely projections and, as such, are based exclusively on the expectations of management concerning the future of the business and its continued access to capital to fund the Company’s business plan. Such forward-looking statements depend, substantially, on changes in market conditions, government regulations, competitive pressures, the performance of the Colombian economy and the industry, among other factors; therefore, they are subject to change without prior notice.
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Contact us for any additional information:
Investor Relations
Alejandro Giraldo
Phone: +571-234-5190
Email: investors@ecopetrol.com.co
Media Relations (Colombia)
Mauricio Téllez
Phone: + 571-2345377
Fax: +571-2344480
Email: mtellez@ecopetrol.com.co
Website: www.ecopetrol.com.co
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
Date: July 16, 2012
| Ecopetrol S.A. | |||
| By: | /s/ Adriana M. Echeverri | ||
| Name: | Adriana M. Echeverri | ||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | ||
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