12% Gas Cut Puts Colombia on Rations

COLOMBIA · ENERGY

Published Wednesday, 28 October, 5:16 p.m. ET · Source: Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy (Resolution 40585), SPEC LNG

Rationing Begins

Colombia began programmed natural-gas rationing at 00:00 local time on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, after a technical problem forced repairs at the SPEC LNG import and regasification terminal in Cartagena, Bolívar. The measure remained in force on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and could reduce nationally available gas by up to 12%, though it does not automatically mean household-wide service cuts.

SPEC LNG, the Cartagena import-terminal operator legally identified as Sociedad Portuaria El Cayao S.A. E.S.P., identified an operating condition requiring corrective work in one of four regasification trains aboard its floating storage and regasification unit. The terminal's reported maximum regasification capacity fell to 400 million cubic feet per day during the repairs.

Reports differ on the normal comparison point: one account gives 533 Mpcd, implying a reduction of 133 Mpcd, while another gives 475 Mpcd, implying a reduction of 75 Mpcd. Using Colombia's reported fiscalized gas production of 1,096 Mpcd, the loss of approximately 133 Mpcd represents about 12% of that production-equivalent figure.

Ministry Priority Order

The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy declared the programmed rationing through Resolution 40585, dated Oct. 26, 2026, to manage limited supply rather than impose simultaneous cuts on every consumer. The Ministry's stated purpose was to administer available gas during the contingency, preserve essential demand, and establish an order of service rather than announce generalized residential disconnections.

Essential demand, especially households and small businesses, receives first priority under the Ministry's scheme. Natural-gas vehicle users are included among prioritized consumers in several reports, and thermal power generation is prioritized after essential demand to receive gas needed to produce electricity.

Gas needed for activities supporting the transport of crude oil to refineries is also treated as necessary. Industrial users and gas exporters face lower priority and therefore a greater risk of restrictions, with non-essential users with firm-supply contracts served after essential demand subject to applicable conditions.

Operator And Market Response

SPEC said the terminal would continue operating during the work, with a maximum regasification capacity of 400 Mpcd. SPEC's estimated repair period was seven to eight days, but that is a technical estimate rather than a confirmed completion date.

Alejandro Castañeda, president of Andeg, an association representing thermal power generators, said the thermal sector would continue receiving the 400 million cubic feet per day. He said the other three trains continue serving thermal plants including Termobarranquilla, Termocandelaria, and Termoflores to maintain electricity supply in the Caribbean region and nationwide.

The reported loss is significant because it occurs before an anticipated period of high demand associated with El Niño, according to coverage of the contingency.

What Is Not Known

Normal terminal capacity is inconsistent across reports: 533 Mpcd in one account and 475 Mpcd in another, making the resulting reduction either 133 Mpcd or 75 Mpcd. The headline 12% reduction is based on comparing the 133-Mpcd figure with Colombia's 1,096-Mpcd fiscalized production figure, which is not necessarily the same as a 12% reduction in total real-time national consumption.

The exact technical defect, the affected train's identity, the repair contractor, and the precise repair schedule have not been disclosed in the reports reviewed. The exact sectors, companies, regions, or volumes that will be curtailed have not been publicly quantified.

The final end date remains unknown. The seven-to-eight-day estimate is not a guaranteed deadline, and the Ministry must formally declare the measure ended after verifying that conditions prompting it have been resolved.

What It Means for US Readers

For US readers, the Cartagena terminal is Colombia's only LNG import and regasification facility, making it a critical chokepoint for a country increasingly reliant on imported gas. The disruption highlights how quickly a single technical fault can tighten supply in emerging markets that depend on LNG imports.

The episode also matters for US LNG exporters, since Colombia has become a growing buyer of imported gas to supplement declining domestic production. Any extended reduction in Colombian regasification capacity could affect near-term demand for US-sourced LNG cargoes.

What Is Not Known

The exact technical defect, the affected train's identity, the repair contractor, and the precise repair schedule have not been disclosed in the reports reviewed. No cited report supplies a named official quotation, a complete text of Resolution 40585, or an independent technical inspection confirming SPEC's account.

It remains unclear whether the reported 400-Mpcd ceiling reflects a temporary technical maximum, an operational limit, or an immediately available deliverable volume under market conditions. The exact sectors, companies, regions, or volumes that will be curtailed have not been publicly quantified.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Colombia’s gas rationing start?

Programmed natural-gas rationing began at 00:00 local time on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, after SPEC LNG detected an operating condition requiring repairs at its Cartagena terminal. The measure remained active on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.

Who is most affected by the gas supply cut?

Industrial users and gas exporters face the highest curtailment risk under the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s priority order. Households, small businesses, natural-gas vehicle users, and thermal power generation receive higher priority.

How long will the repairs take?

SPEC LNG estimated the corrective work would take seven to eight days, but that is a technical estimate rather than a confirmed completion date. The Ministry must formally declare the measure ended after verifying that conditions prompting it have been resolved.

Sources: Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy (Resolution 40585), SPEC LNG.

More: Latin America news, every day from The Rio Times.

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