South America’s gas boom on the rise with Petrobras’ new discovery in Colombian waters

August 4, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Brazil’s state-owned energy giant Petrobras has added to South America’s energy riches with a fresh gas discovery off the coast of Colombia.

A new gas discovery has been made in the Sandia-1 exploratory well in Block GUA-OFF-O in deep waters offshore Colombia. This well is located approximately 42 kilometers from the coast, at a water depth of 1,251 meters, and 18 kilometers from the Sirius-1 discovery and Sirius-2 appraisal wells and 9 kilometers from the Copoazu-1 discovery.

Petrobras, through its subsidiary, Petrobras International Braspetro B.V – Colombia Branch (PIB-COL), acts as the operator of the consortium (44.44%), in partnership with Ecopetrol (55.56%). The Brazilian firm’s Colombian subsidiary hired the Noble Discoverer semi-submersible rig in December 2023 to provide offshore drilling services in Colombia.

The rig’s job was extended by 390 days in April 2025. The 2009-built DSS-21 column-stabilized, dynamically positioned, sixth-generation semi-submersible drilling rig can operate in water depths of up to 10,000 feet (3.05 kilometers) and has a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 feet (12.19 kilometers).

The Brazilian giant claims that its exploration success highlights the gas potential offshore Colombia, adding volumes that will contribute to the region’s energy security. The drilling of the Sandia-1 well started on June 12, 2026, and reached its final depth on July 29, 2026.

Map showing gas discoveries in Colombia; Source: Petrobras

The firm explains that these activities followed high operational standards, respecting the environment and people. According to the operator, the zones where gas was detected are being carefully evaluated through well logs and will later be analyzed in laboratory analyses.

Petrobras’ activities in Block GUA-OFF-0 are said to be aligned with the firm’s long-term strategy, aiming to replenish oil and gas reserves through exploration of new frontiers and partnerships with other companies. These moves are expected to contribute to the supply of global energy demand during the energy transition.

Ecopetrol underlines that the latest gas discovery confirms the gas potential in the Colombian Caribbean and the positive impact of the successful offshore exploration campaign, which is advancing on the right path to increase the supply of gas in the country.