Colombia's fracking plans take on a new urgency
The new administration is turning to shale deposits to hold back the threat of imports
The Colombian government's controversial plans to expand advanced fracking, while keeping a focus on robust environmental regulation, are entering a new phase. Ecopetrol, the state-owned oil firm, applied for an environmental license on 29 October to begin a pilot fracking project in the central Magdalena Medio region. Fracking was a highly controversial subject in the lead-up to Colombia's presidential vote in June. Iván Duque, now president, favoured the strategy of using advanced fracking with environmental controls, while the leftist candidate Gustavo Petro supported greater investment in renewables. Ecopetrol's application will likely re-awaken the debate. The shift comes as Colombia de
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
