UPME has updated the natural gas expansion plan,
As a highlight includes the regasification terminal for the Pacific, which is valued at US $400mn. In addition, there are six other natural gas infrastructure projects that will be available for bidding. The objective is to guarantee the supply of fuel in the long term.
Plans include a new 75km gas pipeline linking the Buenaventura regasification plant to the city of Calí.
All investments will have their income guaranteed by a stamp fee charged to all users. The anchor market must be the thermal generation, however, by competitiveness it seems that domestic markets will be able to consume this imported gas with ease, initially. However, the plant’s mission is to be in Stantby, as a backup.
“We have to be self-sufficient. The idea is that we can be a country that is a net exporter [de gas]”, said Mesa during the Naturgas Congress event in Cartagena.
Other initiatives include plans to attract investment in onshore and offshore exploration, including unconventional areas.
The Buenaventura regasification terminal is programmed to process up to 400Mpc/d (11M3/d) and store up to 170, 000m3 of natural gas. It would be the second LNG import facility in Colombia after the opening of the Cartagena plant in 2016.
It is understood that TGI, a subsidiary of Grupo Energia Bogotá (GEB), is the only potential bidder that has initiated the permit process. In a quarterly results presentation last month, TGI said he was waiting for the publication of the definitive bidding bases to decide whether to participate or not.
The company said the last estimate for the completion of the project was September 2023.
Deficit
The need to increase natural gas supply has increased by the reduction of natural gas reserves, currently in 9 years.
