The coffee-growing country will have to import gas to satisfy its demand. Naturgas warns that this could impact the price of the public service, which has historically been the most economical in Colombia.
Natural gas is key in Colombia. Its daily uses are in the residential segment (for stoves and water heaters), in the industrial segment (to supply the machinery used in production processes), and in the transportation segment (to supply vehicles with engines that work with this).
Recently, the Colombian Natural Gas Association (Naturgas) launched an alert about a possible shortage of this resource for next year and 2026, since according to what was reported by the Natural Gas Market Manager in Colombia, the supply will not be able to satisfy the demand. demand.
As detailed by the president of Naturgas, Luz Stella Murgas, the amount for firm sale in 2025 is 43.5 GBTUD and for 2026 160.5 GBTUD.
It is estimated that firm contracting needs for 2025 are around 120 GBTUD, or 12% of demand, and for 2026 around 350 GBTUD, which is equivalent to 30% of the demand forecast for that year.
“The supply of local gas for firm sale will not be enough to cover the demand for natural gas in the country in the short and medium term,” he said.
To avoid a shortage scenario, the directive assured that imports must be used, which is why it makes the recommendation to prioritize actions and decisions that guarantee this supply for the country.
“The decrease in supply reaffirms the need to prioritize public and regulatory policy decisions aimed at increasing the local supply of gas and enabling all external sources of supply.
We have insisted to the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Creg that marketing gas with the current rules, in a tight market scenario like the current one, could generate an increase in the prices of natural gas, a public service that historically has been the more economical in Colombia,” he added.
This directive also referred to the figures managed by the DNP to say that, in fact, this is the most affordable energy source in Colombia, since it only represents 0.8% of the total cost of the consumption basket in households that are in poverty. monetary.
To avoid complications in the future, Naturgas made the following recommendations:
- Before the natural gas purchase and sale period begins within the marketing process that is already underway, relax the rules for the marketing of local and imported gas in relation to contract duration, direct negotiations at any time of the year, subscription of firm supply contracts with short, medium and long-term terms and flexibility in the beginning of contract execution.
- Approval of the investments associated with the expansion of the transportation capacity of the Barranquilla – Ballena gas pipeline that would allow transporting surplus gas from the Atlantic Coast to the interior of the country.
- Resolve requests for review of charges and aggregation of transport sections necessary to promote the development of projects that will increase the supply of local gas.
For the sector, it is relevant that Colombia continues to bet on local exploration and production, which is why it requests that the commitments needed to extend deadlines be made more flexible, as well as the retention of areas under evaluation; also that the extension of the areas of existing contracts affected by force majeure or technical aspects be reviewed; resume the nomination of exclusive areas for natural gas in the coffee-growing country; and the promotion of synergies between conventional and energy transition projects.
