Colombia’s Ecopetrol and Brazil’s Petrobras have completed their largest-ever natural gas exploration campaign in the deep waters of the Colombian Caribbean, following an investment of approximately $1 billion.

The two-and-a-half-year campaign involved the drilling of five exploration wells and was completed without accidents or operational incidents, Ecopetrol said Monday.

Petrobras operated the exploration program with a 44.4% interest, while Ecopetrol holds the remaining 55.6% stake. The project forms part of an exploration contract between the companies and Colombia’s National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH).

The campaign significantly expanded the companies’ understanding of the Colombian Caribbean’s offshore gas potential and required an extensive logistical operation. More than 1,000 helicopter flights transported over 16,000 passengers, while vessels moved more than 147,600 tons of cargo and 45 million liters of fuel.

The exploration program has already delivered results.

On August 3, Ecopetrol and Petrobras confirmed a new natural gas discovery in the deepwater Colombian Caribbean, in the same offshore region that contains major discoveries including Sirius and Copoazú.

The companies have increasingly focused on Colombia’s offshore Caribbean as the country looks to develop new domestic natural gas resources. According to Ecopetrol, increasing Colombia’s gas supply was a central objective of the exploration campaign.

Petrobras led the planning and execution of the program, which involved specialized geoscience and engineering work alongside extensive maritime, aviation, port and oceanographic operations.

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