Ecopetrol S.A. Announces Ex Dividend Period

BOGOTA, Colombia, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) has announced that the last payment of COP$72.60 per share as a dividend for 2009 will be paid from December 15, 2009.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090209/ARM001LOGO)

Pursuant to External Circular No. 13 of 1998 of the Securities Superintendency, the ex dividend period will be ten (10) stock market business days immediately preceding the date for the payment of dividends. Therefore, anyone buying stock during this period will not be entitled to the dividend to be paid on December 15.

Stockholders who are registered holders of shares prior to the beginning of the ex dividend period will be entitled to dividend payment on December 15.

The ex dividend period begins on November 30, 2009.

Ecopetrol is Colombia's largest integrated oil company and is among the top 40 oil companies in the world and the four largest oil companies in Latin America. Besides Colombia, where it accounts for 60% of total production, the Company is involved in exploration and production activities in Brazil, Peru and the United States (Gulf of Mexico). Ecopetrol has the principal refinery in Colombia, most of the network of oil and multiple purpose pipelines in the country, and it is considerably increasing its participation in biofuels.

This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the prospects of the business, estimates for operating and financial results, and those related to growth prospects of Ecopetrol. These are merely projections and, as such, are based exclusively on the expectations of management concerning the future of the business and its continued access to capital to fund the Company's business plan. Such forward-looking statements depend, substantially, on changes in market conditions, government regulations, competitive pressures, the performance of the Colombian economy and the industry, among other factors; therefore, they are subject to change without prior notice.

Website: http://www.ecopetrol.com.co/

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090209/ARM001LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, [e-mail]

Ecopetrol S.A.

CONTACT: Alejandro Giraldo, Investor Relations, [phone],
[e-mail], Mauricio Tellez, Media Relations (Colombia),
[phone], Fax: [phone], [e-mail], both of Ecopetrol
S.A.

Web Site: http://www.ecopetrol.com.co/