COLOMBIA · ENERGY
Key Facts
- —What happened: Ecopetrol restricted operations in part of the Tibú oil field this month, near Colombia’s Venezuela border.
- —How big: Armed groups stole more than 39,000 barrels of crude oil across the region in 2025 alone.
- —What it means: Workers also removed more than 150 illegal valves that thieves had tapped into pipelines last year.
- —The catch: Ecopetrol had already flagged this exact theft risk to United States securities regulators last year.
- —What comes next: Ecopetrol is now reviewing whether it can safely keep working in the area at all.
Ecopetrol has restricted work in part of the Tibú oil field after years of pipeline theft in Catatumbo.
State oil company Ecopetrol restricted operations in part of the Tibú oil field this month. Tibú sits in Colombia’s Catatumbo region, near the border with Venezuela.
Armed groups have been stealing crude oil and siphoning fuel from company pipelines there. Ecopetrol says thieves took more than 39,000 barrels of crude across the region in 2025 alone.
Thieves Draining the Pipeline
The company also removed more than 150 illegal valves tapped into its pipelines last year. Attacks on one station alone cut daily production by more than 300 barrels, Ecopetrol says.
Ecopetrol calls the worst-hit site its North Station, in the Palmeras area of the Tibú field. Armed groups struck that station seven times in 2025, stealing more than 1,300 barrels there alone.
Normally, the Tibú field pumps about 1,400 barrels of oil and 900,000 cubic feet of natural gas every day. That output also supplies the town of Tibú and roughly a quarter of nearby Cúcuta’s gas use.
Catatumbo is not the only front where thieves keep draining oil from Ecopetrol’s pipelines. A separate Ecopetrol pipeline in Cesar state lost even more oil to illegal taps last year.
A Warning Already Sent to Washington
Ecopetrol flagged this exact theft risk to United States securities regulators last year already. The company said persistent fuel theft could hurt both its financial results and its reputation.
Ecopetrol posted that warning in a routine annual filing, not a new emergency notice. Still, the rising theft numbers show the risk has kept growing since then.
Fuel theft has surged sharply across Ecopetrol’s entire pipeline network in recent years. Refined-fuel losses nationwide jumped from about 179 barrels a day in 2024 to roughly 2,200 barrels a day in 2025.
Nationwide, illegal refining of stolen fuel cost Ecopetrol’s group about US$63 million in 2025. Ecopetrol president Ricardo Roa said thieves refined more than 730,000 stolen barrels that year.
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Weighing Whether It’s Safe to Stay
Ecopetrol says it is now reviewing whether it can safely keep working in the area. The company has also asked both local and national authorities to strengthen security in the area.
Ecopetrol says it still remains committed to developing the region for the long term. It also says it needs stronger security guarantees before it can safely restart full operations.
Local officials in Norte de Santander have also called for a stronger military presence near oil sites. Catatumbo has long been one of Colombia’s most violent regions, scarred by decades of conflict.
For now, Ecopetrol has not set a date for restarting full production at the site. Its next move may depend on whether security forces regain control of the area.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ecopetrol?
Ecopetrol is Colombia’s state oil company, largely owned by the Colombian government.
Where is the Tibú oil field?
Tibú sits in the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander, in northeastern Colombia. The area borders Venezuela and has faced years of armed-group violence.
Why did Ecopetrol restrict operations in Tibú?
Armed groups have been stealing crude oil and tapping pipelines across the area. Ecopetrol says the theft threatens workers and forced it to restrict operations there.
Sources: El Tiempo, El Colombiano, La República.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief