14 August 2025
Gran Tierra Energy to Execute Three New Infrastructure Projects in Valle del Guamuez, Orito and Rionegro (Santander)
- Gran Tierra Energy is pleased to announce three new infrastructure projects that will benefit over 32,000 people living in Valle del Guamuez, Orito and Rionegro, with a total investment of over COP $18,000 million.
- Projects will be implemented in partnership with the Territorial Renewal Agency (ART) through the Works for Taxes mechanism and include the construction of new infrastructure within the Tesalia School, a rural educational institution, which serves the school-age population from the municipality of Orito and offers preschool, primary, rural post-primary and secondary education, as well as 2 kilometres of tertiary roads that will benefit over 32,000 people in Valle del Guamuez and Rionegro (Santander).
- Since 2018 Gran Tierra has implemented eight Works for Taxes projects, with a total investment of COP $67,000 million, benefiting over 59,000 people in Putumayo.
Puerto Asís, Tuesday August 4th, 2025. Gran Tierra Energy is pleased to announce three new infrastructure projects that will benefit 32,000 people living in Valle del Guamuez, Orito and Rionegro (Santander), with a total investment of over COP $18,000 million. These important projects will be implemented in partnership with the Territorial Renewal Agency (ART) through the Works for Taxes mechanism. These projects have been identified as priorities and requested by local communities. The Company is grateful to the National Government as it has given its approval to move forward with these initiatives, with implementation starting in 2026.
The first project will see the construction of new major infrastructure made to the Tesalia School, a rural educational institution, which serves the school-age population from the municipality of Orito and offers preschool, primary, rural post-primary and secondary education. Through this project a new sports facility and a new teacher workspace will be built, benefiting 209 students and teachers with a total cost of over COP $7.900 million. The sports facility will be a covered coliseum designed to support various sports disciplines and recreational activities for the students and the community. It features a multi-purpose court suitable for basketball, soccer, and volleyball and will include spectator stands, dressing rooms, bathrooms, artificial lighting, and a roof that provides protection from rain and sun. This project will also create a new teachers’ workspace, designated for the work and coordination of the teaching staff. This space will play a vital role as a place for academic planning, lesson preparation, and internal meetings. This new infrastructure within the school will become a new gathering point for exchanging information relevant to both school and community activities.
In Valle del Guamuez, Putumayo, the Company will pave over 1 kilometre of rural gravel roads consisting of four sections, benefiting 4,808 people who use these roads regularly to transit within the urban area of this village. In Rionegro, Santander, another four sections of rural gravel roads will also be paved. This important road enhancement will make travel easier and faster for local residents, improve access to essential services and boost the local economy by making it more cost effective for local entrepreneurs, farmers and businesses to transport their products to local and national markets. Additionally, new concrete roads have been proven to reduce traffic
accidents and personal injuries, contributing to greater safety for the communities living close to our operations. Between the two road infrastructure improvement projects over 27,767 people will benefit. Diego Perez-Claramunt, President & Country Manager of Gran Tierra Energy in Colombia said: “Over the last four years we have seen how the Work for Taxes mechanism has become a great opportunity for our Company to undertake big infrastructure projects that have benefited thousands of local residents, while also boosting Putumayo’s economy. Gran Tierra will continue looking for ways to positively contribute to the development of Putumayo and improve the lives of the communities next to our operations.”
This year, GTE is also executing four major infrastructure projects in Putumayo in collaboration with local leaders, including a new aqueduct system which provides potable water to 1,300 residents in rural areas in the municipalities of Mocoa, Valle del Guamuez and Puerto Asís, and the improvement of other rural roads, benefiting 24,000 local residents of this region.
Works for Taxes has been an important mechanism through which Gran Tierra has been able to design and implement projects to improve the living conditions of the communities of the municipalities most affected by poverty and violence in Putumayo. In previous years, the Company has implemented three other Works for Taxes projects, with a total investment of COP $67,000 million and benefiting over 59,000 people in Putumayo as following:
- 2 projects for cafeteria upgrades provided by Gran Tierra to 152 schools in the Puerto Caicedo and Orito villages, support increased food security for local students, as the participating schools now have the ability to store and prepare nutritious food, keeping students in school longer. 12,000 students and teachers are benefiting from this initiative.
- The lives of more than 15,300 people in the communities between Campo Alegre and Puerto Vega are benefiting from road upgrades completed by Gran Tierra to important tertiary roads. The local economy and local residents have seen positive impacts as the upgraded roads reduce dust, cargo and passenger transportation costs, while at the same time increasing road safety and the commercialization of agricultural and livestock products.
- GTE has delivered sanitary units to communities in the municipality of Villagarzón. Families from the communities of La Cafelina, Canangucho, Champagnath, Germania, San Isidro and El Porvenir received a sanitary unit, which included a sink, toilet, shower and laundry station.
All of these efforts are part of Gran Tierra Energy’s commitment to go Beyond Compliance, meaning that wherever there are significant opportunities and benefits to local communities, Gran Tierra willingly goes beyond what is legally required to provide social benefits because it is the right thing to do.