Ecopetrol and Petrobras Confirm Gas at 1,285 Meters in the Colombian Caribbean

Ecopetrol and Petrobras announced on August 3 a new natural gas discovery in deep waters of the Colombian Caribbean, after drilling the exploratory well Sandía-1 at a depth of 1,285 meters in block GUA-OFF-0, according to Bloomberg Línea. The find marks a fourth well with confirmed gas in the area.

Sandía-1 is located roughly 42 kilometers from the coast, 18 kilometers from Sirius-1, the gas discovery well, and from Sirius-2, drilled as a delineation well, and nine kilometers from Copoazú-1, also a discovery well, according to Portafolio. The well is part of the GUA-OFF-0 contract signed with the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), where Petrobras operates with a 44.4% stake and Ecopetrol holds the remaining 55.6%. The find comes at a moment when Colombia faces the challenge of securing natural gas supply in the coming years, with offshore Caribbean exploration concentrating part of the industry's efforts to expand future energy supply.

Drilling of Sandía-1 began on June 12, 2026, and reached its final depth on July 29, 47 days later. The intervals where gas presence was confirmed are being assessed through well logs and laboratory analysis; the announcement does not yet constitute a declaration of commercially exploitable reserves. Petrobras frames the operation within its strategy of exploring new frontiers and rebuilding reserves through partnerships. Ecopetrol stated that the discovery confirms "the great gas potential in the Colombian Caribbean" and aims to increase the country's supply and contribute to national and regional energy security.

The next step is technical evaluation: well logs and laboratory analyses will determine the associated gas volumes and characteristics. A potential declaration of commercially exploitable reserves, subject to those studies, is the milestone to watch in Ecopetrol and Petrobras's offshore campaign in the Colombian Caribbean.

This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.