Colombia has officially lost its energy self-sufficiency in natural gas after maintaining it for 45 years. This development marks a significant shift in the country’s energy landscape, as it now relies on imported gas to meet domestic demand. The current energy situation in Colombia was anticipated, and today the country is facing a complex crisis that could have devastating consequences.
Back in 2024, Luz Stella Murgas, President of the industry group Naturgas, issued a stark warning about the troubling pace at which Colombia was depleting its natural gas reserves. “The heart of the issue is that, without new discoveries and without the infrastructure to develop existing ones, Colombia will have to increasingly rely on natural gas imports. And that won’t come cheap,” she stated last year during a local interview. She also emphasized that “Colombia’s true energy security lies in developing the full potential of the country’s natural gas resources,” as this remains the greatest challenge today.
At the time, the President of Naturgas also pointed out that although both onshore and offshore deposits with potential have been identified, many remain non-operational due to technical or administrative bottlenecks. Some lack transportations infrastructure; others require surface treatment facilities. The solution, according to Murgas, lies in coordinating all stakeholders to speed up developments while keeping social and environmental standards in focus.
Now, in 2025, the impact of those warnings is beginning to be felt, with rising tariffs already hitting consumers.
Colombia’s declining gas reserves and rising import
To better grasp the projections surrounding Colombia’s energy outlook, it’s essential to understand that energy self-sufficiency is measured as the ratio between available reserves and current consumption.
In 2024, according to official data, Colombia’s proven natural gas reserves decreased by 13% dropping from 2,373 to 2,064 billion cubic feet. This reduction lowers reserves-to-production ratio from 6.1 to 5.9 years, indicating that, without new discoveries, the country has less than six years of gas supply remaining at current consumption rates.
The shortfall has already led to increased imports. As of April 2025, imported gas accounts for 4% of national consumption, with projections estimating this will rise to 6.5% by September. This trend is expected to continue, potentially leading to higher energy costs for consumers.
The loss of self-sufficiency has significant implications for Colombia’s energy security and economy. Dependence on imported gas makes the country more vulnerable to global market fluctuations and supply disruptions. Additionally, the increased cost of imports, as mentioned, will lead to higher energy prices for households and industries.
The president of Naturgas opens up about Colombia’s gas self-sufficiency
As of May 2025, Luz Stella Murgas continues to raise urgent concerns about Colombia’s natural gas supply. During a recent interview with Giovanni Celis, the news Director of the local channel Red+ Noticias, the President of Naturgas stated that Colombia has officially lost its self-sufficiency in natural gas “for households, commercial, and vehicle sectors-as well as industries in Colombia-that for nearly five decades consumed the gas produced within the national territory, Colombian gas.” She added, “since 2024, when the production fields that historically supplied us with gas began to decline, Colombia was forced to import gas to meet high demand. With this dependance from other countries, Colombia lots its self-sufficiency,” she stated.
During the interview, the news director of Red+Noticias asked Murgas when exactly Colombia began making poor decisions in this area. According to Murgas, “over the past decade, exploratory drilling in the country has declined significantly, and the reserves have dwindled. The combination of these trends has brought Colombia to face a scenario of natural gas shortages within its own territory.” She added that, unfortunately, public policy has not been effective enough to reverse this trend.
Esta noche: Luz Stella Murgas, presidenta de Naturgas, hablará #AlPunto con @GiovanniCelisS, director de Red+ Noticias.
⏰ 10:00 p. m.
➡️ Siga la entrevista en los canales 107 y 1007 de Claro, y en la señal en vivo a través de https://t.co/ERJ5hUdCXy pic.twitter.com/pH0qBHFXWe
— Red+ Noticias (@RedMasNoticias) May 26, 2025
However, despite the bleak outlook, Murgas highlighted a source of hope in the Caribbean Sea. “More than a decade ago, drilling began in this region of Colombia, where significant gas reserves were discovered. The challenge is that developing projects in the Caribbean Sea takes much longer, as the wells are offshore, the weather conditions are more complex, and the investments required are much larger,” she stated.
According to the President of Naturgas, knowing there’s potential in the Caribbean, the key is to bring together the necessary willpower. Through public policy, the national government must take the lead–alongside local governments, communities and companies–to accelerate the development of these projects. Because if we follow the traditional path, by the time we have access to the gas in the Caribbean, it may be already too late, and the consequences could be far more severe,” she warned.
As part of her analysis, Murgas pointed to a critical issue that has also hindered the effective development of well-drilling projects in Colombia: a lack of clear regulations surrounding the consultation process. She explained that licensing, permit and prior consultations with local communities–required before drilling can begin–have become administrative obstacles that delay exploration effort. As a result, the process of bringing newly discovered gas sources to Colombian households has been significantly slowed.
“Today, there are shortcomings in the regulation of prior consultation processes in two key areas: there are no fixed deadlines, which causes delays, and there is no specialized team to take leadership in managing these consultations,” she said.
In summary, these obstacles are, in effect, limiting efforts to improve the quality of life for the 36 million Colombians who currently benefit from natural gas in their homes.
Murgas also emphasized that at the heart of the push for energy self-sufficiency lies a crucial issue: natural gas plays a vital role in reducing poverty in Colombia by freeing up household income. She pointed out that many people still rely on firewood or gas cylinders because they lack access to distribution networks. “Switching from firewood to natural gas is a clear example of poverty reduction,” Murgas said during the interview.
What does the outlook for the coming years look like?
As for now, and according to Murgas, in 2026, 2027 and 2028, Colombia will be forced to increase its natural gas imports, at least until major projects–particularly those in the Caribbean Sea–can be developed.
Murgas closed the interview with a powerful statement amid Colombia’s complex energy challenges. She argues that “public policy should support the development of projects, but everything related to energy security and sovereignty should fall under a state policy, that transcends changing administrations and is guided by long-term directives, even at a constitutional level.” Murgas added that ensuring energy security is, in many ways, vital to guaranteeing access to a dignified life and the well-being of millions of Colombians.
With uncertainty surrounding the direction of energy policy, many are concerned about whether Colombia will have enough gas to meet the demand through 2030.