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Brazil’s state-owned energy company Petrobras, through its Colombian arm Petrobras International Braspetro BV (PIB-COL), along with its partner Ecopetrol, has confirmed a significant natural gas discovery off the coast of Colombia. This marks the country’s largest-ever gas find, promising to boost Colombia’s energy reserves substantially.
The confirmation reported by Reuters follows earlier reports that the Guajira Offshore Basin, located in the Caribbean Sea, now holds an estimated gas potential of about 6 trillion cubic feet (tcf). This discovery follows the drilling of the Uchuva-2 well, which further explored the gas reserve initially discovered in 2022 at the Uchuva-1 well. The drilling operations were conducted using the Development Driller III rig.
In compliance with a ruling by the Fourth Labor Court of the Santa Marta Circuit, Ecopetrol announced that the project names Uchuva and Tayrona would be replaced to avoid potential legal complications. The new names, Sirius and GUA-OFF-0, were agreed upon for the two exploration sites, reflecting the legal requirements of the court order.
The Sirius-2 well, located 77 kilometers off the coast of Santa Marta at a depth of 803 meters, is now recognized as Colombia’s largest gas discovery. Drilling activities at the well began in June 2024, and Petrobras estimates that this find could increase Colombia’s gas reserves by 200%. The well holds more than 6 tcf of gas, significantly expanding the country’s energy potential.
Petrobras and Ecopetrol, operating as a consortium, will invest approximately $4.1 billion in the project. This includes $1.2 billion in exploration costs and $2.9 billion for production development. They will also begin collecting oceanographic, environmental, and geotechnical data, crucial for installing a subsea gas pipeline and related infrastructure.
Natural gas production is projected to begin by 2027, contingent on the necessary environmental licenses. If successful, the project could produce up to 13 million cubic meters of gas per day for at least ten years, contributing significantly to Colombia’s energy future.
