CERAWEEK-Colombia looks for ways to ease gas deficit, imports rise to 30% of needs -Ecopetrol

Colombia is weighing options to ease a natural gas deficit expected to grow, including ramping up imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as promising offshore areas where companies have found reserves are years from delivering first output, said the CEO of state-run company Ecopetrol.

Offshore areas currently in exploration are expected to provide Colombia with at 2.5-4 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas in the lowest case scenario, and up to 12 TCF if most prospects are confirmed, CEO Ricardo Roa told Reuters late on Tuesday on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.

Colombia is currently importing up to 30% of the natural gas the Andean country is consuming, Roa said.