Occidental finds no oil at Colombian Siriri (Gibralter) well!!!

In this update:
1.UPDATE 7/27: OXY?S EXPLORATORY WELL ON U?WA LAND IS DRY!!!!!
2.REUTERS: OCCIDENTAL FINDS NO OIL AT COLOMBIAN SIRIRI WELL
3.CENSAT AGUA VIVA: JOIN U'WA IN PRAYER TO SIRA TO DRIVE OIL AWAY FROM THE GIBRALTAR I WELL

1. The good news we've all been waiting and praying for has come: according to an OXY company official, there is no oil at the Gibralter I drill site on U'wa ancestral territory! A Reuters wire story posted Friday evening about results from the exploratory well shows the presence of gas and condensates, but no oil.

What does this mean? We're still working to further confirm this story and awaiting a response from the U'wa themselves, so please stand by for more information. On the other hand, don't just stand by--CELEBRATE! This is the best news we've received this year. Although this may not be a permanent victory, it is certainly a positive turn of events.

As the Reuters article explains, the company still considers an oil discovery inside OXY's Siriri block (formerly known as Samore) possible. But this would require more seismic testing and another exploratory well, putting any new drilling at least a year away.

The announcement by OXY comes as thousands of U'wa are in a retreat in their communities for AjReowa (June - August), a time of fasting, meditation, teaching, singing, and prayer. An invitation was circulated Friday morning inviting people to join them in their prayers (see #3). The Werjayas (wise elders) and Karekas (medicine people) have been praying and doing spiritual work for months to drive away and hide the oil from the Gilbralter well site, which seems to have been one of the most effective strategies to date.

The U'wa's uncompromising resistance and spiritual work, along with all of the local and international solidarity actions have formed the backbone of an incredible movement that has kept OXY at bay for 9 years. As we reflect on this news and the future of OXY's project, let us also take a moment to remember those who have given their lives in this struggle to defend this millennial culture and their sacred lands.

We thank all of the U'wa supporters for your tireless efforts in defense of justice, peace, human rights, and the earth. Today we rejoice.

2. Friday July 27, 6:49 pm Eastern Time Occidental finds no oil at Colombian Siriri well

BOGOTA, Colombia, July 27 (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY-news) has stopped drilling at its Siriri field in Colombia and is considering the future of the project after finding gas and condensates but no oil, a company official said on Friday. Occidental still considered an oil discovery in the Siriri site -- up until now the company's biggest hope for a new major discovery in Colombia -- to be ``possible'', a spokesman said.

But the highly complicated geological structure and security concerns would both be factors in the company's decision on whether or not to resume test drilling.

Drilling would not resume for at least one year, he said, adding that more seismic studies would probably be needed first.

The Siriri field is located near the Venezuelan border in the 47,000-hectare Gibraltar Basin, about 140 km from Occidental's existing Cano Limon field in eastern Colombia.

Exploration at Siriri started in February 2000 and its possible reserves were first estimated by the company at 1.4 billion barrels. At the time test drilling began, Occidental rated the chances of discovering a commercially viable oil deposit at Siriri to be about 20 percent.

3. JOIN U'WA IN PRAYER TO SIRA TO DRIVE OIL AWAY FROM THE GIBRALTAR I WELL

OCCIDENTAL RUNS PRODUCTION TESTS IN GIBRALTAR

While Occidental Petroleum will begin to run production tests to determine whether there is petroleum in the Siriri block (located on U'wa lands), thousands of U'wa indigenous people are several weeks into a fast in order to cry out to Sira, their God, to drive away petroleum from the Gibraltar well of the Siriri block.

Spanning centuries, throughout the present age, the U'wa people have retreated into the mountains to carry out a long fast through which they ask Sira to maintain the equilibrium and life of the Planet; on this occasion, the U'was are asking Sira for the departure of Occidental from their territory. The U'wa people, who are on Earth to prevent its collapse, have advanced a valorous struggle, know throughout the world, defending themselves from Occidentla which wants to seize the oil, Ruiria, the blood of the Earth, and with this act bring about the collapse, the destruction of their culture, and the destruction of the planet.

We are calling on all those who believe in the justice of the U'was' struggle and those trying to avoid this catastrophe, so that together we may accompany the U'was in their prayer to Sira to ask that the oil flows away and Occidental abandons the Sacred Territory of the U'wa.

CENSAT AGUA VIVA
[Centro de Salud Ambiente Trabajo Agua Viva--Center for Health, Environment,Work, Water, Life]Amigos de la Tierra [Friend of the Earth-Colombia]

ORACION A SIRA PARA ALEJAR EL PETROLEO DEL POZO GIBRALTAR I. OCCIDENTAL CORRE PRUEBAS DE PRODUCCION EN GIBRALTAR

Mientras la Occidental Company empezara a correr las pruebas de produccion para saber si existe petroleo en el bloque Siriri (ubicado en tierras U´was), miles de indígenas U´was se encuentran en ayuno desde hace unas semanas para clamar a Sira, su Dios para que aleje el petróleo del pozo Gibraltar -bloque Siriri. Durante siglos, por esta época el pueblo U´wa se retira a las montañas a realizar un largo ayuno en el que piden a Sira mantener el equilibrio y la vida del Planeta; en esta ocasion, los U´was estan pidiendo a Sira que la compañia Occidental salga de su territorio. El pueblo U´wa, que esta en la Tierra para evitar que colapse, ha adelantado una valerosa lucha, conocida en todo el mundo, defendiendose de la Occidental que quiere arrebatar el petroleo, Ruiria, la sangre de la tierra, y con esto generar el colapso, la destrucción de su cultura, y la destruccion del Planeta. Llamamos a todos quienes creemos en la justicia de la lucha de los U´was y a quienes estamos intentando evitar esta catastrofe, para que acompañemos a los U´was en su oración a Sira para pedir que el petroleo se aleje y Occidental abandone el territorio Sagrado U´wa.

Bogota, julio 27 de 2001

CENSAT AGUA VIVA
Amigos de la Tierra (FoE)
Diágonal 24 Nº 27a-42
Santafé de Bogotá
Colombia Sur América
Telfax: 57-1-244 05 81 y 244 24 65