Colombia considers lifting fracking ban, expects up to $4 billion in investment
In Colombia, the new right-wing administration of President Abelardo de la Espriella plans to lift restrictions on oil and gas exploration, as well as the ban on hydraulic fracturing. According to OilPrice, fuel-sector companies could invest up to $4 billion in the country’s oil and gas industry over the next four years.
Regulatory changes
According to the publication, the previous administration of left-wing President Gustavo Petro suspended new oil and gas exploration projects and completely banned fracking. The new authorities seek to open oil and gas reserves to foreign investors, but to do so they need to remove regulatory obstacles related to prior consultations, administrative decisions, and delays in environmental licensing.
President of the Colombian Natural Gas Association Naturgas, Luz Stella Murgas, told Reuters that these procedures need to be unblocked. At the same time, a divided Congress could complicate changes to rules on fracking, royalties, taxes, and permitting procedures. OilPrice notes that the president may try to speed up permit issuance through decrees, but this could trigger legal challenges.
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Conditions for investors
Political risk analyst Sergio Guzman told Semafor that lifting the ban alone would not be enough to attract capital: according to him, investors will expect long-term fiscal certainty. President of the Colombian Petroleum Association Frank Pearl stressed that measures to attract investment must be comprehensive, decisive, and swift.
An additional factor for potential investors is the security situation. According to data cited by OilPrice, Colombia’s oil infrastructure suffered 580 attacks and blockades in 2025. The publication also writes that stepped-up measures against armed groups could trigger a new surge in attacks on critical infrastructure. Experts also point to the risk of rising tensions in communities that oppose fossil fuel extraction in their regions.
