The gas produced, distributed and marketed in Colombia is cheaper than what would be imported from Venezuela, say experts at the V Oil, Gas and Energy Summit that takes place in Bogotá. It was also warned about the doubts generated by shipments, especially due to technical failures, but also political
Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s plan to import natural gas from Venezuela has been part of the issues that have been addressed during the V Summit of Oil, Gas and Energy that takes place in Bogotá, but the mere idea or mention finds objections, criticisms and doubts from former officials and representatives of union organizations.
The economist Mauricio Cárdenas, who was Minister of Finance for six of the eight years that the two governments of Juan Manuel Santos had, was one of those who raised the issue, warning about the obstacles that exist at this time and in the future for Venezuela to send gas to Colombia through the Antonio Ricaurte gas pipeline, which links Maracaibo with Puerto Ballenas in the Department of La Guajira.
“The problem now is that the gas pipeline has deteriorated because it has not been used for many years, equipment, valves and segments of the pipeline have been stolen and that is why the first thing that must be done is to recover the gas pipeline, but that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. dollars,” Cárdenas told the portal Petroguiawho then asked himself the question: “Do Venezuela and Pdvsa have the capacity and interest to make that investment?”
He added that “this gas pipeline must be fixed because those gas exports from Venezuela would give support to Colombia, but it cannot depend exclusively on Venezuelan gas.”
He explained that currently, the gas produced, distributed and marketed in Colombia is cheaper than what would be imported from Venezuela; and he also warned about the doubts that shipments generate, especially due to technical failures, but also political ones.
The information highlights that the former official did not give details, but in the journalistic review, dozens of statements can be obtained about the way in which presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro assumed the issues and commercial and economic relations, between the two countries against the Colombian governments, as happened with the negotiations by Andrés Pastrana, Álvaro Uribe, Juan Manuel Santos and Iván Duque.
“The import of gas from Venezuela would be a reinforcement, a complement or a security that we would have, but we cannot depend on that gas nor can we compromise something that is fundamental for the country such as reliability,” said Cárdenas.
For his part, the president of Campetrol, Nelson Castañeda, reiterated what has been the message of trade union organizations linked to the hydrocarbons sector regarding advancing in exploratory activities to increase natural gas reserves, but also He warned about the lessons that the war in Ukraine has left and the threats from Russia in the energy supply.
“Energy self-sufficiency is essential for the country and we see that with the experience that Europe has lived this year,” said Castañeda. “Colombia has all the potential to continue discovering gas, both offshore and offshore. like the unconventional deposits in the Magdalena Medio that could multiply the reserves by four and that would give us more than 20 years of energy self-sufficiency,” he added.
*Read also: PDVSA evaluates reactivating the abandoned gas pipeline to export the hydrocarbon to Colombia
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