CHAPTER 5 Innovation and technology

50

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technology for Caracara Sur field (Colombia) Focused on increasing crude oil production in the Caracara Sur field (Colombia); in May 2015 a pilot test was launched involving the injec- tion of a mixture of chemicals that increased output in wells located around the injection site. In 2015 this technology was patented.

In 2015, tests were begun searching for other molecules that could increase oil production in other fields operated by the Company in North Africa and the Middle East.

Galileo project: definition of an Intellectual Property management system in the Company The project aims to establish a culture of knowledge protection in our Company that encourages innovation and gives added value to our intangible assets. By means of the Intellectual Property department in the Technology area, we obtain and assess ideas that might merit protection, providing support on intellectual property management to the business units in their projects.

Development of a new line of research into surfactants derived from palm nut oil We are in the process of building our plant in Indonesia, where a new research and technical support line will start operating in 2016 for new plants for surfactants based on ethoxylated alcohols derived from palm nut oil.