Petrobras Reports Gas Find at Sandia-1 Off Colombia, Operating Block With 44.44% Stake

Petrobras announced on Monday, August 3, 2026, a gas discovery at the Sandia-1 exploratory well in block GUA-OFF-0, in deep water off Colombia. The well sits 42 kilometres from the Colombian coast under 1,251 metres of water, about 70.7 kilometres from the city of Santa Marta.

The Brazilian company holds 44.44% of the consortium and is nonetheless the operator of exploration on the block, with Colombian state producer Ecopetrol holding 55.56%. Petrobras participates through its subsidiary Petrobras International Braspetro B.V - Sucursal Colombia (PIB-COL), the vehicle through which it conducts oil and gas exploration and production in Colombia.

Sandia-1 lands inside a tight cluster. The well is 18 kilometres from Sirius-1 and Sirius-2 and 9 kilometres from Copoazu-1, according to a filing sent to Brazil's securities regulator, the Comissao de Valores Mobiliarios (CVM). Gas concentrations had already been identified at Sirius-1 and Copoazu-1.

Drilling started on June 12 and reached final depth on July 29. The intervals where gas is present are being assessed using well logs and will later be characterised through laboratory analysis, the company said.

The block lies in the Guajira basin. Petrobras said the discovery reinforces the gas potential of the Colombian offshore and adds volumes that should contribute to the energy security of the region. The company said output should mainly serve the Colombian market, which shows high demand for the fuel.

The find follows Petrobras reporting in 2024 that it had located in the same area the largest natural gas reservoir ever identified in Colombia. Sylvia Anjos, Petrobras director of Exploration and Production, said on December 5, 2024 that the Guajira basin can be understood as part of the equatorial margin.

That framing links the Colombian acreage to the company's exploration push closer to home. Petrobras obtained a licence from Ibama, Brazil's environmental agency, for oil exploration on the equatorial margin in October of last year, a region nicknamed the new pre-salt. The Brazilian project faces criticism from environmentalists warning of possible environmental impacts.

Beyond Colombia and Brazil, Petrobras keeps oil and gas exploration and production operations in countries including Bolivia, Argentina, the United States, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, and South Africa.