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For the first time in 25 years, Cristina Mendoza no smells of smoke. Her kitchen in Palmar de Varela, Atlántico, no longer fills with the gray haze of burning firewood. Instead, a clean, blue flame now fuels her stove, a modest change for some, but a life-changing transformation for thousands of families across Colombia.

The Colombian Natural Gas Association (Naturgas) issued a stark warning following the release of a new report showing a 13% drop in the country’s proven natural gas reserves in 2024.

Colombia’s state oil company Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC) is preparing to import natural gas from the Middle East as part of a broader strategy to diversify and secure the country’s energy supply.

Colombia’s domestic gas production during the first quarter of 2025 has reached its lowest level in five years, marking a deepening crisis in the country’s energy supply.

A heated public dispute has erupted in Colombia over the recent rise in natural gas prices, with Juan Ricardo Ortega, president of Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB), pointing fingers at Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC) and its subsidiary Hocol. The oil giant, in turn, has defended its position, urging market players to avoid speculation and adhere to facts.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced potential sanctions against gas intermediary companies, accusing them of diverting residential gas supplies to more lucrative thermoelectric generation. His remarks follow a Fedesarrollo study warning of steep increases in gas tariffs due to rising import dependency.

During the recent Naturgas Congress, preliminary figures regarding Colombia’s potential natural gas deficit for 2026, 2027, and 2028 were presented. However, several industry experts cautioned that it is too early to draw firm conclusions.

At the closing session of the Naturgas Congress held in Barranquilla, Juan Manuel Rojas, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Naturgas and CEO of Promigas, highlighted the critical situation facing Colombia’s natural gas industry.

Luz Stella Murgas, President of Naturgas, laid bare the consequences of Colombia’s energy policy decisions and offered a clear roadmap to restoring natural gas self-sufficiency.

MinEnergia Edwin Palma says the Colombian government will write long-term gas import contracts because “Those increases in gas prices across the country must be reversed.” He is either misguided or misleading Colombians. We hope it is the former. Gas prices appear to be on the upswing and Colombians will pay a premium to eliminate the risk of gas prices going up.