Yahoo Finance·2026-02-21 22:00Core Insights - Colombia is facing a significant energy crisis due to a sharp decline in natural gas production and reserves, exacerbated by policy changes and increased reliance on imports [5][8][11] Group 1: Natural Gas Supply and Demand - Domestic natural gas production has decreased from a high of 1.1 billion cubic feet per day in February 2020 to only 693 million cubic feet in December 2025, marking a 9% drop from November 2025 and a 23% decline year-over-year [1] - Colombia's natural gas reserves have fallen from 5.7 trillion cubic feet in 2012 to just over 2 trillion cubic feet by 2024, indicating a production life of only 5.9 years [4] - The country is increasingly reliant on natural gas for electricity generation, with thermal facilities generating over 20% of Colombia's electricity [2][3] Group 2: Policy and Economic Impact - President Petro's policies aimed at reducing fossil fuel dependency have led to the replacement of coal-fired plants with natural gas facilities, contributing to the energy crisis [2][5] - The cessation of new exploration contracts and increased taxes on the extractive industries have resulted in reduced drilling activities and foreign investment [8] - The reliance on costly liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports has surged, with imports reaching 94.33 billion cubic feet in 2024, nearly triple the previous year's volume [9] Group 3: Future Projections and Challenges - Without new domestic sources of natural gas, the supply deficit is projected to reach 56% of demand by 2029 [11] - The Sirius natural gas project, expected to come online by 2030, aims to develop 6 billion cubic feet of natural gas but will require a $5 billion investment [13] - Rising natural gas prices, driven by increased imports, are contributing to inflation and impacting the cost of living for households [12]