Colombia Declares to Restore Gas Pipeline with Venezuela a Project of National Interest
The Colombian Government included the recovery of the Antonio Ricaurte Binational Gas Pipeline, which connects Colombia with Venezuela, among the National and Strategic Interest Projects (PINES) of the Strategic Resources and Energy mission. This is a key step toward advancing an initiative that will help diversify the country’s natural gas supply sources. The decision will […]
The Colombian government has announced that restoring the Antonio Ricaurte Binational Gas Pipeline, which connects Colombia with Venezuela, is a project of national and strategic interest (PINES). This step is part of the Strategic Resources and Energy mission, aiming to diversify the country's natural gas supply sources. The 225-kilometer-long pipeline, inaugurated in 2007, spans 88 kilometers in Colombia and 137 in Venezuela, linking La Guajira to Lake Maracaibo.
Recovery would allow Venezuelan gas to be integrated into the national transportation system, providing cheaper gas for Colombian households and industry. Ecopetrol, a state-owned oil company, estimates that importing Venezuelan gas via pipeline could reduce costs to around US$6 per million British thermal units (Mbtu), compared to up to US$25 for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Natural gas currently imported by sea undergoes liquefaction and regasification, increasing costs. The pipeline, with an operating capacity of up to 450 million cubic feet per day, could supply approximately 5% of the country's daily consumption in the initial phase. The project, set to cost around US$30 million, will comply with Colombian legislation and U.S. sanctions regulations.
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