A new discovery made by Petrobras, from Brazil, and Ecopetrol, from Colombia, doubles the gas reserves of the latter country

By Roberto Morejón

In the midst of euphoria after the discovery of an important gas field in Colombia, many voices were raised warning that the optimism should be restrained, as the news cannot blur the objective of undertaking a transition towards renewable energies.

A new discovery made by Petrobras, from Brazil, and Ecopetrol, from Colombia, doubles the gas reserves of the latter country, and is considered the greatest success since the 90's of the last century. 

The discovery was made in the Sirius well, offshore Colombia, and comes after more than 20 years of scarcity of this type of news.

The reports coincide with the plans of the government headed by President Gustavo Petro to seek investments for 40 billion dollars and thus finance the energy transition of the South American country.

As it is known, President Gustavo Petro is a fervent opponent to the development of fossil fuels, he favors clean energies and is moving towards what he describes as a decarbonized, productive and competitive economy.

The statesman assures that the use of these traditional resources goes against the economy of life, an essential objective of his government.

The conservative opposition and a sector of the industry question these positions of the government because, in their opinion, they jeopardize energy self-sufficiency.

However, enthusiasts for the new discovery claim that it comes at a crucial moment, since Colombia is facing a water crisis due to the El Niño climate phenomenon, and will have to increase its gas imports by 2,500 percent between 2022 and 2023.

In other words, the discovery will play a leading role in a country in need of gas, since according to figures from Naturgas, the national association of gas companies, in 2025 Colombia will have a deficit of this hydrocarbon equivalent to 7.5% of the total demand and in 2026 it will increase to 16%.However, experts warned that although they are happy to know about the discovery of a significant gas field, its commercial operation will take years, and for the time being Colombia will have to import certain quantities.

Therefore, local public opinion must be more nuanced in the light of the most audacious studies, which indicate the need to gradually reduce dependence on fossil fuels, a source of environmental pollution, and concentrate on solar and wind energy.