News and AnalysIs for

GasVenezuelan NOC PDVSA may be finally ready to reverse the flow of gas and export to Colombia in January 2016. Take it with a Bolivarian grain of salt.

Promigas president Antonio Celia believes that there is commitment from the government to make gas infrastructure licensing more agile, but the system does not fully consider the cost of delays in licensing, considering the loss in royalties, investment, job creation, gas availability and gas rates.

The liberalization of the market and mass use of the domestic gas network, coupled with pricing decisions made on a political instead of technical or market basis is putting the country’s electrical energy supply at risk argues a newspaper column.

GasThe growing demand for natural gas in Colombia coupled with a fall in reserves will mean significant increases in the price of gas going forward, and the potential need to import the resource, says a report from the Mining Energy Planning Unit (UPME).

In light of new discoveries in departments like Sucre while supply from La Guajira declines, gas transporters TGI and Promigas both have significant investment plans to expand the gas infrastructure network. Both still await authorities to take bigger steps forward.

The XVIII Congress of the Colombian Natural Gas Association (Naturgas) has provoked a discussion on the future of the industry, on subsidies, delays in regulations and licensing, and how to prioritize the use of propane or natural gas.

The Colombian Association of Natural Gas (Naturgas) president Eduardo Pizano insists that the country’s gas supply is solid, and that the sector needs advances on certain regulatory fronts more than anything.

The Bolsa Mercantil de Colombia (BMC) held its official launch to mark its role as the “Amazon” of the natural gas market. No mention was made of the political forces who have been successful in circumventing the open market when it comes to pricing.

Yesterday we asked where Colombia’s supply of gas was coming from and today’s graph gives a hint.

The floating regasification plant that Promigás is building through a port consortium (El Cayao) has been completed, but the remainder of the plant awaits an environmental license to get started.