President Gustavo Petro stated that Colombia has no plans to import oil from Venezuela, amid hurdles for gas imports due to US sanctions. Mines and Energy Minister Edwin Palma confirmed that Ecopetrol cannot proceed without an Ofac license. These remarks address a growing gas supply deficit in Colombia.
Colombia's President Gustavo Petro responded to criticisms on potential Venezuelan hydrocarbon imports by stating that "we are not thinking of bringing oil from Venezuela, it is not needed". In a message to professor Camilo Prieto, who questioned its viability as a solution to Colombia's energy deficit, Petro specified that, if necessary, light oil from Apure/Barinas could be considered for refining in Barrancabermeja.
Throughout Petro's administration, plans to import gas from Venezuela have been discussed, but they face legal and political barriers. The Venezuelan state company Pdvsa is on the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) sanctions list, preventing Ecopetrol from doing business with it. Mines and Energy Minister Edwin Palma, from Barichara in Santander, warned that any commercialization requires express authorization from that entity. "Unfortunately, it seems it cannot be through Ecopetrol that we can make this transaction because what they tell us in Venezuela is that a license from the United States government is needed," Palma said.
The government prioritizes quick actions to mitigate impacts on the domestic market, even evaluating imports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). In 2025, imports cover 18% to 20% of gas demand, up from 4% at the end of 2024, raising costs through liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases. Petro insisted on alternatives like transporting Venezuelan gas to the world if it advances its energy transition, or receiving fresh water in La Guajira. There is no imminent crisis, according to the president, as demand for imported fuels decreases due to tariff policies on polluting vehicles and shifts in the energy matrix.
Reactivating the 224-kilometer Antonio Ricaurte gas pipeline, closed for over a decade, would require 18 to 24 months and significant investments, according to consultants like Wood Mackenzie.
