"La municipalidad de Cobán, Alta Verapaz, no autorizó el inicio de nuevas actividades petroleras en la finca municipal Salinas Nueve Cerros, y aunque las opiniones estuvieron divididas, el Concejo Municipal acordó por mayoría de votos no arrendar el casco urbano de la finca a la empresa petrolera británica..."
According to Petrolatina's own website: "Following the completion of all necessary central Government approvals and consents to start work on Licence A7-2005 generally, the Municipality of Coban refused consent for access to the Tortugas area of the licence. The Company has therefore declared force majeure and all operations have been suspended on the licence, with the exception of those related to Atzam-2." (from press release 10-01-2007)
Petrolatina is determined to overturn this obstacle and rather ominously is talking in terms of 'when' rather than 'if' on its website: "Following the lifting of the force majeure at a future date following the resolution of the existing issues, the Company will complete the work over of two wells on the Tortugas salt dome and shoot 437 kilometres of 2D seismic."
