Colombia's Sirius project, developed off its Caribbean coast by state oil firm Ecopetrol and Brazil's Petrobras, has completed nearly half of consultations with local communities that could be affected by the development, Petrobras' Colombia chief Alcindo Moritz said on Thursday.
The companies said last December they had confirmed Colombia's largest ever gas discovery while drilling a well there. The South American nation has limited gas reserves and the project could help cut imports to meet domestic demand.
Initial consultations were set at 116 but these rose to 120 by September.
"It is moving forward," Moritz said at the oil conference organized by the country's National Hydrocarbons Agency. "We are going to enter Phase 3 of the project, where we will begin to prepare the contracts."
Indigenous communities have a right to prior consultation to participate in the decision-making of measures that may directly impact their land, culture and livelihoods.
The Sirius project, which should cost around $5 billion, has an estimated 6 billion cubic feet of gas on site. The companies predict it will come online between 2029 and 2030.
Ecopetrol owns a 55.6% stake and Petrobras the remaining 44.4%.
Last October, a court struck down a suspension of activities at the site after local community representatives said that no prior consultation was held with the nearby Indigenous community of Taganga.
(Reuters - Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Sarah Morland)
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