What is going on with fracking in Colombia?

Photo: Mark Dixon, Flickr

Fracking in Colombia has been on hold since the high court declared the potential risk of environmental damage was too high. But now the door may be opening again for exploratory pilot projects.


June 7 will be another big day for fracking in Colombia as the State Council holds its first public hearing on whether pilot projects for fracking might be allowed. The day will also see protest marches throughout the country – and even abroad – against the controversial process.

So is fracking legal?

The legality of fracking in Colombia right now is not clear cut. Put simply, the question of whether to frack has been buffered between conflicting resolutions and declarations from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of the Environment and other entities for about five years.

Emma Newbery: Emma co-founded The Bogotá Post in 2014 with a mission to provide reliable information about Colombia for an international audience. She is passionate about providing readers with information they can trust on topics that matter. In addition to her work with The Bogotá Post, Emma writes about personal finance and investing for The Ascent. Emma started her career in journalism at UKiNvest 25 years ago, before taking a side road into the world of Olympic bidding.

View Comments (3)

  • Fracking pollutes in one day what nature purified through rock and sand for centuries. Drinking water ready for compsumption becomes poisonous to even the touch, let alone ingestion. Allowing fracking is not only irresponsible, it is criminal.

  • Fracking is done all over Western Canada and in the USA. Get your facts straight and stop spreading fake news.

  • Canada's western provinces have most of Canada's oil and gas. Fracking is allowed and in use in these provinces.