| Barco oil concession | |
|---|---|
  Location of Tibú, which became the main camp when the oilfield was developed | |
| Country | Colombia |
| Region | Norte de Santander department |
| Offshore/onshore | Onshore |
| Coordinates | 8°38′21″N 72°44′14″W / 8.639068°N 72.737099°W |
| Operator | Texaco, Socony Vacuum, Ecopetrol |
| Field history | |
| Discovery | 1905 |
| Start of development | 1936 |
| Start of production | 1939 |
| Production | |
| Peak of production (oil) | 25,000 barrels per day (~1.2×106 t/a) |
| Estimated oil in place | 250 million barrels (~3.4×107 t) |
The Barco oil concession was one of the main concessions in Colombia during the early development of its petroleum industry, the other being the De Mares concession. Oil was first found in the Norte de Santander department near the border with Venezuela in 1905, but development did not start until 1936. A joint venture between the Texas Corporation and Socony-Vacuum (now Texaco and Mobil) sank the wells and built a 263-mile (423 km) pipeline across the mountains and through swampy jungle to the Caribbean coast at Coveñas. Workers were harassed by Motilone people defending their territory, and several died. The concession began operation in 1939 and continued into the 1960s, when it began to be depleted. Other fields in the region are still productive.