Colombiaโค Facesโค Looming Gas Deficit, Industry Warns of Limited Capacity
BOGOTร โ- Colombia’s natural gas supply is โoperating at its maximum capacity, leaving the nation vulnerable to shortagesโ and hindering its ability to respond to unforeseen disruptions, according to Naturgas, the country’s โขnatural gas association. The warning โcomes as the โฃnation grapplesโฃ with โincreasing โคdemandโข and declining local production, potentially leading to a 50% gas deficit by the end of the decade without significantโค new sources.
Theโ potential shortfall underscoresโ Colombia’s growing relianceโ on gas imports and the critical need for both expanded import infrastructure and increased domestic โขexploration. Naturgas highlighted two keyโ projects aimed at boosting import capacity: the expansion of the SPEC regasification plant in Cartagena and the Buenaventura terminal, both โคreceiving investment from ecopetrol. Aโ further project in Coveรฑas (Sucre) is also planned. However, these expansions may not be enough to offset โขdwindling local supply.
“We are operating at the โคlimit, we โฃhave no room for maneuver โฃto react to contingencies,”โฃ Naturgas stated,โฃ emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The industry is pinning hopes on โthe Sirius โoffshore well, developed jointly byโ Petrobras and Ecopetrol, as a potential game-changerโฃ capable of restoring Colombia’s gas self-sufficiency.
In โค2024, the natural gas industry invested US$817 million in exploration and production projects. The sector also contributed โ$3.3 billion in taxes and royalties and โคallocated โคUS$18 million toโข social investment programs, benefiting approximately 1.5 million Colombians โacross 190 โฃmunicipalities.Despiteโ these contributions, the long-term sustainability of Colombia’s gas supply remains aโ pressing concern.
