LatinNews Daily - 19 March 2026

*Colombia’s state oil company Ecopetrol and Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras have announced the discovery of a new natural gas deposit off Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The companies, whose joint venture in Colombia has already resulted in significant gas discoveries, said that the new deposit was discovered approximately 36km from the Colombian coastline following the drilling of an exploratory well, Copoazú-1, in the GUA-OFF-0 block. In a joint statement, they said that discovery underscores “the hydrocarbon potential of this area” and will “provide a greater volume of gas to contribute to the country’s energy security”.