Ecopetrol, Petrobras Complete $1 Billion Offshore Gas Campaign in Colombian Caribbean

Colombia's Ecopetrol and Brazil's Petrobras have completed their largest-ever natural gas exploration campaign in the deep waters of the Colombian Caribbean, representing an investment of approximately $1 billion. Ecopetrol announced the completion on October 5, 2026. The two-and-a-half-year program involved drilling five exploration wells with no accidents or operational incidents. Petrobras operated the campaign with a 44.4% interest, while Ecopetrol holds 55.6%. The project falls under an exploration contract with Colombia's National Hydrocarbons Agency. The campaign required over 1,000 helicopter flights carrying more than 16,000 passengers, plus vessels that moved 147,600 tons of cargo and 45 million liters of fuel. On August 3, 2026, the companies confirmed a new gas discovery in the same offshore region containing the Sirius and Copoazú finds, advancing Colombia's efforts to develop domestic natural gas resources.