Colombian Court Reignites Controversy Over Gas Well

A Colombian court reversed a suspension on the Sirius-2 gas well, imposing new administrative conditions following objections from Indigenous communities. Industry stakeholders warned the halt could impact Colombia's energy self-sufficiency. The project is run by Ecopetrol and Petrobras, with additional rulings asserting common use for Indigenous names.

A Colombian court has overturned a previous suspension on the Sirius-2 gas well project, originally named Uchuva-2, situated off the nation's Caribbean coast. The decision, dated October 29, was influenced by complaints from Indigenous communities about potential disruptions to their traditional way of life.

The industry had expressed concerns that halting the project could jeopardize Colombia's long-term energy strategies and negatively affect its already shrinking gas reserves. Sirius-2 is a collaborative venture between Colombia's state oil company Ecopetrol and Brazil's Petrobras.

The court instructed the Colombian interior ministry to issue, within a month, an administrative act to explore the necessity for prior consultation with the affected communities, as mandated for large-scale projects. Additional rulings also clarified the continued use of Indigenous names, Uchuva and Tayrona, asserting their status as terms of common usage under intellectual property law.

(With inputs from agencies.)