Colombia’s Oil And Gas Numbers Are Falling, And The Risks Are Rising

Key Points

• Oil output fell 3.6% in January–November 2025, tightening a revenue and FX pillar.
• Gas dropped 11.7%, sharpening the import question and the power-planning squeeze.
• Reserve life is short, and policy clarity now matters as much as geology.

Colombia’s audited oil production averaged 746,402 barrels per day from January to November 2025, down from 774,180 barrels per day a year earlier.

November’s audited figure was 744,655 barrels per day, which was lower than November 2024 but slightly above October 2025. The geography of that output shows how concentrated the system has become.

Meta delivered 427,144 barrels per day, equal to 57.36% of national production. Casanare followed with 112,852 barrels per day, or 15.15%. Arauca contributed 45,677 barrels per day, or 6.13%.

In Meta, a small set of fields anchored volumes: Rubiales at 96,166 barrels per day, Castilla at 53,882, Caño Sur Este at 53,221, Castilla Norte at 38,447, and Chichimene at 35,477.

Operatorship is just as concentrated. Ecopetrol averaged 464,493 barrels per day in the period. Frontera Energy averaged 47,660, and GeoPark averaged 41,794.

Gas Decline Highlights Colombia’s Energy Risk

That dominance can be stabilizing when investment rules are predictable and permits move on time. It becomes a vulnerability when policy signals turn noisy and timelines stretch.

Gas is where the warning light flashes brighter. Audited gas production averaged 1.265 billion cubic feet per day from January to November 2025, down from 1.432 billion a year earlier.

Casanare provided about 813 million cubic feet per day, or 65.22% of the total, while La Guajira contributed 85 and Córdoba 84. Ecopetrol led with about 900 million cubic feet per day, followed by Hocol at 118 and CNE Oil & Gas at 64.

Why does this matter beyond Colombia? Fossil fuels still deliver roughly 10% of fiscal revenues and about 35% of exports.

Proven oil reserves were reported near 2.035 billion barrels at end-2024, while proven gas reserves were reported near 2.064 trillion cubic feet, implying limited runway.

Colombia already uses LNG imports via the Cartagena terminal during tight periods, and new regasification ideas are circulating.

Online, the debate has focused less on ideology and more on the practical question: can the country keep supply stable while restoring investor confidence and avoiding costly emergency imports?

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