Ecopetrol, Petrobras begin Uchuva-2 offshore drilling campaign

Colombian state-run oil company Ecopetrol and Brazilian partner Petrobras have begun drilling the Uchuva-2 deepwater well as part of broader efforts to incorporate new gas reserves.

The appraisal well is located at a depth of 837m, around 32km off Colombia's Caribbean coast, Ecopetrol said in a statement on Friday. 

It added that the new drilling campaign aims to confirm the size and volume of a natural gas discovery at the adjacent Uchuva-1 prospect.

“Uchuva-1 is considered a very significant discovery for Ecopetrol and Colombia because it confirmed the importance of the Caribbean as one of the main sources of gas for our country," said Ecopetrol's offshore chief Elsa Jaimes. 

The Uchuva area forms part of the Tayrona block, in which Ecopetrol holds a 56% stake alongside operator Petrobras.

Jaimes said Ecopetrol has been working "for several months" to advance the development of offshore projects amid concerns about future gas supply. 

"Uchuva-2 will allow us to obtain more information about what was discovered and the necessary information to plan and execute the connection with [gas] consumption centers," she added. 

According to energy ministry planning unit UPME, Colombia could face a natural gas deficit as soon as 2027 unless new sources of the fossil fuel are secured.

In May, national hydrocarbons agency ANH said the lifespan of Colombia's natural gas reserves had fallen to 6.1 years, down from 7.2 years 12 months earlier.