This follows an announcement issued by Ecopetrol last week saying that its pipeline unit Cenit received approval from the national environmental licensing authority to adapt existing offshore crude infrastructure for LNG use at the Covenas maritime terminal in Sucre department.
The company said in a new statement that it will accept expressions of interest from potential companies wishing to participate in the binding call until October 19.
Ecopetrol aims to sign an agreement before the end of this year.
According to Ecopetrol, the contracted services include a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), the mooring system, as well as all personnel for operation and maintenance.
Documents posted on Ecopetrol’s website show that the expected regasification capacity of the FSRU will be 400 million cubic feet per day, while the projected capacity of use will be 110 MMcf/d.
The company noted that the FSRU will be located near the TLU-3 (tanker loading unit) and will be connected to the existing infrastructure.
Ecopetrol said this project represents a “decisive milestone for Colombia’s energy security in the short term and supports the growing integration of renewable energies.”
PIO SAS
In March this year, Ecopetrol signed a deal with compatriot PIO SAS for regasification infrastructure on the Colombian Pacific coast.
Ecopeetrol said at the time that this new regasification alternative on the Colombian Pacific coast will provide new sources of supply to meet the demand for gas in Colombia, prior to the launch of offshore projects.
The infrastructure will have a regasification capacity of 60 million cubic feet per day.
Ecopetrol expects the infrastructure to start operations in August of 2026, offering receipt and storage services in Buenaventura and regasification in Buga, Valle del Cauca.
Belgian shipowner Exmar recently secured a contract from Regasificadora Del Pacífico (RDP) to deploy a floating storage unit on the west coast of Colombia.
Exmar said that RDP, part of the Puerto Inversiones y Obras, is developing a fast-track LNG import solution in the inner bay of Buenaventura, under a term contract signed with Ecopetrol in February 2025 to provide regasification and logistics services for a volume of 60 million cubic feet per day of gas.
