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Despite higher average temperatures and droughts in regions such as Casanare, authorities say that the national energy grid should have no problem covering energy demand from hydroelectric dams, even if rainfall over the next couple of months is lower than expected.

Colombia’s Association of Natural Gas, Naturgas, held its annual conference last week in Cartagena and drove a message home of growth and potential for the industry. Here we publish a summary of some of the highlights.

GasEcopetrol (NYSE:EC) will build a bi-directional gas plant together with Chevron (NYSE:CVX) in order to both store natural gas in case of shortages and also export to other markets.

GasThe Colombian Association of Natural Gas (Naturgas) says 2013 was a positive year for the natural gas industry and that its use continues to grow, and it now has a 24.4% share of primary energy production, and that if methane gas associated with coal can be harnessed, reserves could triple over the next five years.

The board of directors of Gas transport firm TGI agreed to pay out 100% of the company’s profits from last year to shareholders, spreading the profits from financial consolidation as the company harnesses the growing gas market.

GasThe Minister of Mines and Energy Amylkar Acosta is confident that a natural gas boom is coming to Colombia and that exporting gas to Panama, before the United States supplies the Central American market, is a current option.

GasThe Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMins) cast away any shadow of doubt that the regasification plant contract that has faced scrutiny in the local press is anything short of a sure thing.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) issued a statement in which it says that the regasification plant awarded to a consortium headed by Promigas continues forward, and that despite reports saying otherwise, neither it nor the Inspector General has the authority to halt such a project.

The Inspector General’s (IG) office and the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) have halted the awarding of a contract to a consortium led by Promigas to build a regasification plant.

GasThe port services holding firm, EL Cayao, of which gas distributor Promigás has a 49.99% share, has won the contract to build a regasification plant for Caribbean thermal energy generation firm Grupo Térmico.