Petrobras and Ecopetrol Discover Deepwater Natural Gas in Colombia

Petrobras S.A. and Ecopetrol S.A. confirmed a new deepwater natural gas discovery at the Sandia-1 exploratory well on August 3, 2026. The well is located in the GUA-OFF-0 Block, approximately 42 kilometers offshore Colombia's northern Caribbean coast in 1,251 meters of water.

Drilling for the well began on June 12 and concluded on July 29, encountering gas-bearing intervals. While official volume estimates await laboratory analysis, the discovery is situated near the Copoazu-1 and the larger Sirius-1 and Sirius-2 wells, indicating the presence of a concentrated gas province. Petrobras S.A. operates the block with a 44.44% interest, while Ecopetrol S.A. holds a 55.56% stake.

This find is expected to support Colombia's long-term natural gas supply as the nation faces an increasing reliance on imports to cover a growing deficit. A final investment decision for the associated Sirius project is targeted for the end of 2027, with production projected to begin between 2030 and 2031.