Petrobras Eyes Sirius Gas for 2027-31 Business Plan
Petrobras may include Colombia’s Sirius offshore natural gas project in the production outlook for its 2027-2031 business plan if the development secures its environmental license, adding a major Caribbean gas project to the company’s medium-term production pipeline.
By Carolina Curiel
Published September 24, 2026
What Readers Should Know
- Petrobras may include Sirius in its 2027-2031 business plan if the project obtains its environmental license.
- The company still needs to complete legally required consultations with potentially affected ethnic communities.
- Sirius contains more than 6 trillion cubic feet of gas in place, according to Ecopetrol.
- Petrobras operates the project with a 44.44% interest, while Ecopetrol holds 55.56%.
- The development concept would transport gas directly from subsea wells to the Colombian coast without an offshore production platform.
- Up to 249 million cubic feet per day has already been contracted under binding agreements subject to project approval.
- First gas is currently targeted around 2030.
MONTREAL (Oil Monster): Brazil’s state-controlled Petrobras may include Colombia’s Sirius offshore natural gas project in the production outlook for its 2027-2031 business plan, provided the development secures its environmental license.
“I think it should appear in the business plan if we get the environmental license,” Petrobras Exploration and Production Director Sylvia Anjos told journalists at an industry event on Wednesday.
The company’s next business plan is expected to be released later this year.
Environmental License Remains the Key Milestone
Anjos said Petrobras has made progress toward securing the required environmental approval but still needs to complete prior consultations with local communities.
The consultations are a legal requirement intended to protect the rights of ethnic communities that could be affected by the development.
Earlier in 2026, Petrobras said more than half of the approximately 120 required consultations had been completed.
Ecopetrol has previously targeted completion of the consultation process by the end of 2026, with the environmental licensing process extending into 2027.
Sirius Holds More Than 6 Tcf of Gas in Place
Sirius is the largest offshore natural gas discovery identified to date in Colombia.
Ecopetrol estimates the field contains more than 6 trillion cubic feet of gas in place based on the Sirius-1 discovery and Sirius-2 appraisal program.
The project is located in the GUA-OFF-0 block in the Colombian Caribbean.
Petrobras International Braspetro B.V. operates the block with a 44.44% interest, while Ecopetrol holds the remaining 55.56%.
Project Would Use Subsea-to-Shore Development
The current development concept would transport natural gas directly from the seabed to Colombia’s coast through a subsea pipeline.
Anjos said the design would eliminate the need for a conventional offshore production platform.
The subsea-to-shore configuration would connect offshore production infrastructure with onshore gas-processing and transmission facilities.
The design remains subject to final project approval, engineering development and environmental licensing.
Gas Sales Already Contracted Subject to Project Approval
Commercial preparations are more advanced than the licensing process might suggest.
Petrobras and Ecopetrol completed a joint commercialization process for Sirius gas in December 2025.
Ecopetrol reported that 100% of the gas offered in that process, equivalent to up to 249 million cubic feet per day, was placed through 66 binding contracts with 17 counterparties.
The agreements are subject to conditions, including approval and development of the Sirius project.
Petrobras said the contracts can cover a period of up to six years.
First Gas Is Targeted Around 2030
Ecopetrol’s current development roadmap targets first gas around 2030, subject to the completion of consultations, environmental approvals, final investment decision and project execution.
The company’s project timeline has identified 2026-2028 as the period for commercial and development maturation, followed by execution and startup toward the end of the decade.
Sirius is therefore not yet a producing asset and should not be treated as confirmed supply in Petrobras’s medium-term production outlook until the required approvals are secured.
Nearby Discoveries Strengthen Offshore Gas Potential
Petrobras and Ecopetrol have continued exploring the wider GUA-OFF-0 block while advancing Sirius.
In August 2026, the companies confirmed a new natural gas discovery at the Sandía-1 well, located approximately 18 kilometres from Sirius-1 and Sirius-2.
The companies said the discovery reinforces the gas potential of Colombia’s offshore Caribbean region, although Sandía volumes remain under technical evaluation and should not be added to Sirius reserves without further appraisal.
What Inclusion in the Petrobras Plan Would Mean
Including Sirius in Petrobras’s 2027-2031 production outlook would move the project more formally into the company’s medium-term operational planning.
It would not, by itself, represent a final investment decision or environmental approval.
The licensing process, completion of community consultations, project economics and final investment approval remain key milestones before construction and production can proceed.
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Courtesy: www.pgjonline.com (Reuters)