from BNN Bloomberg article

they need money...

"The offers come as the state-controlled driller invests heavily in offshore exploration while the Andean nation struggles to plug a natural gas shortfall expected to start next year.

Equity analysts questioned Ecopetrol’s decision earlier this year to pull out of a $3.6 billion deal to buy a stake in Texas shale-oil assets from Occidental Petroleum Corp. The move prompted two members of its board to quit. ".

so, again... WTF?