Caso Barrancabermeja Análisis de potenciales impactos en la cadena de valor de hidrocarburos debido a la Transición Energética

The document analyzes the socio-economic dependence of Barrancabermeja on the oil industry and explores pathways for economic diversification to mitigate the risks of the energy transition. It identifies key opportunities in regenerative agriculture, low-emission hydrogen, and carbon capture, while warning that abrupt reductions in oil production could destabilize the local economy.

• Barrancabermeja exhibits a high level of economic dependence on the oil industry, which serves as its primary economic driver. In 2019, secondary activities (largely oil-related) accounted for 65% of the municipal added value, and approximately 80% of the activity in the services and commerce sectors is linked to the petroleum industry.
• The municipality's fiscal health is vulnerable to oil market volatility; petroleum royalties decreased from 347 billion pesos in 2019 to 208 billion pesos in 2020 due to lower production and international prices. In 2020, Barrancabermeja received 64.6% of all royalties for the Santander department.
• Local stakeholders identify several specific opportunities for economic diversification in Barrancabermeja and the wider Santander region, including regenerative agriculture (specifically cacao and coffee), a logistics and transport cluster, the production of low-emission hydrogen at the Barrancabermeja Refinery, and the creation of a Carbon Capture, Storage, and Use (CCUS) hub.
• There is significant local concern that abrupt political decisions to reduce oil exploration and production could hinder a just transition and negatively impact the national and local economy, potentially making Barrancabermeja a center for displacement.
• The energy transition is viewed as an ecological opportunity to protect endangered flora, fauna, and water resources, particularly within the dry forests of the middle Magdalena river valley, which cover approximately 846,729 hectares across several municipalities including Barrancabermeja.
• Global decarbonization trends indicate a significant reduction in oil and gas use by 2030, 2035, and 2050. In alignment with these international climate commitments, Colombia plans to gradually reduce crude oil production, which is expected to lead to decreased exports and increased imports for local refining needs by 2030.

APA

Mejía, L. F., Hernández, V. V., & Restrepo, G. P. (n.d.). Caso Barrancabermeja Análisis de potenciales impactos en la cadena de valor de hidrocarburos debido a la Transición Energética. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20230708-Cartilla_cadenas_de_valor-VF_Transforma.pdf

Chicago

Mejía, Laura Flechas, Verónica Valencia Hernández, and Giovanni Pabón Restrepo. Caso Barrancabermeja Análisis de potenciales impactos en la cadena de valor de hidrocarburos debido a la Transición Energética. Transforma, n.d. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20230708-Cartilla_cadenas_de_valor-VF_Transforma.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mejía |first1=Laura Flechas |last2=Hernández |first2=Verónica Valencia |last3=Restrepo |first3=Giovanni Pabón |title=Caso Barrancabermeja Análisis de potenciales impactos en la cadena de valor de hidrocarburos debido a la Transición Energética |publisher=Transforma |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20230708-Cartilla_cadenas_de_valor-VF_Transforma.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mejandcaso, author = {Mejía, Laura Flechas and Hernández, Verónica Valencia and Restrepo, Giovanni Pabón}, title = {{Caso Barrancabermeja Análisis de potenciales impactos en la cadena de valor de hidrocarburos debido a la Transición Energética}}, institution = {Transforma}, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20230708-Cartilla_cadenas_de_valor-VF_Transforma.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }