MADRID, 14 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Colombian state oil company Ecopetrol has reported on Monday that it will begin drilling the Orca Norte 1 delimiter well, in Caribbean waters, in the last quarter of the year, with the aim of increasing its gas production.
This announcement is in line with its strategy to offer Colombia the necessary gas to leverage the just energy transition, increasing natural gas production from the current 22% that represents among the total hydrocarbons to 30% in the next seven years.
For the moment, the company has already signed a contract with the Noble Corporation company to have, in mid-November and for about two and a half months, its drilling rig, with which it will be in charge of drilling the well and checking the potential of the find announced in December 2014.
Orca Norte 1 is part of the Tayrona block and is located deep in the waters of the Colombian Caribbean. This is a milestone in Ecopetrol’s hydrocarbon exploration as it is the first deepwater well operated directly by the company.
Ecopetrol has formed an extended team for this project, which will allow it to meet the milestone of drilling Orca Norte 1 before March 2024, in accordance with the commitment made with the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH).
Only if a confirmation of the deposit is given, it will be possible to move on to the development phase, in which it will be possible to have the necessary infrastructures to lead the hydrocarbon to land. Given that this is a process that requires high investments and execution times, Ecopetrol has already started the prior consultation process with the communities established by the authorities that seeks to make the laying of a gas pipeline from Orca viable.
The company is currently finalizing the details of the processes required to support the works, such as the operational base on land, support vessels and drilling services. For now, the stage of information to the authorities is advancing to make the entry of the platform into the country viable and comply with the different requirements and regulations.
“This milestone is of great importance in the effective and efficient search for gas. From Ecopetrol we continue to be interested in developing reserves that leverage the acceleration that we must give to the country’s energy transition,” said the president of the company, Ricardo Roa.
