Colombia’s new government backs fracking as debate over energy future heats up

In Puerto Wilches, a river town in Colombia's Middle Magdalena Valley, a years-long fight over fracking is reigniting under new President Abelardo de la Espriella, who pledged during his campaign to “fully open the door” to the practice. His predecessor, Gustavo Petro, had halted two pilot projects there in 2022, arguing Colombia should move away from fossil fuels rather than expand them.

The pilots, run by state oil company Ecopetrol with ExxonMobil, were meant to test whether fracking could work commercially in Colombia, which unlike the U.S. or Argentina has never taken the practice past the pilot stage. Supporters point to the National Hydrocarbons Agency's estimate that proven gas reserves will last under six years at current production with no new discoveries; critics warn of risks to wetlands, floodplain lakes, and species including the West Indian manatee, the critically endangered Magdalena River turtle, and the endangered Magdalena catfish.

De la Espriella has compared fracking to building a bridge, suggesting it won't pollute if done correctly. Geologists and locals counter that the real risks lie less in deep rock fluid migration than in surface spills, wastewater disposal, and water use, noting a single well can consume roughly 15 Olympic pools' worth of water in a municipality of more than 36,000 people.

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