Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) announces the discovery of oil at the Warrior well located in deepwater of the Green Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ecopetrol's US subsidiary, Ecopetrol America Inc., owns 20% of the field, operated by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Anadarko US Offshore LLC, with a 65% stake. MCX Exploration (USA) LLC has the remaining 15%.

The drilling penetrated a layer of water of 1,263 meters and an extension below the seabed of 6,953 meters, for a total depth of 8,216 meters. The Warrior exploratory well found more than 210 net feet (64 meters) with high quality oil in multiple reservoirs from the Miocene era.

This discovery is a result of Ecopetrol's new exploratory strategy, which includes partnerships with leading global companies to diversify risk, increase exploration and increase likelihood of discovery.

The new strategy seeks hydrocarbons (oil and gas) near existing infrastructure to achieve production in the short term. The Warrior well is expected to take advantage of the production facilities of the Marco Polo platform, also operated by Anadarko.

Ecopetrol is already a partner with 9.21% in another near field, K2, where the Company produces about 2,000 barrels per day. Warrior, K2 and Marco Polo are located within a radius of five kilometers away.

Warrior is the fifth discovery of Ecopetrol in the United States, after Rydberg and Leon in 2014, and Dalmatian South and Parmer in 2012.

In the Gulf of Mexico, Ecopetrol went from producing 3,500 barrels per day in July 2016 to about 12,000 barrels today, demonstrating the region's growing strategic value for the Company. The majority comes from the Gunflint well, in which Ecopetrol America Inc. owns 31.5%.

Ecopetrol increased its stake in Warrior from 15% to 20% in August 2016, within a strategic decision that today brings benefits to the Company.