This strategic line seeks to balance the water consumption in our operations, with the provision of safe water for the ecosystem, aiming to reach water neutrality. The comprehensive management of water generates value to business through the enabling of production and reserves and guarantees the availability and continuity of the current and future water supply for projects and operations, contributing to the sustainability of water resources.

Required water to operate

In 2022, the total volume of water required to develop Ecopetrol’s value chain activities was 169.6 million cubic meters (m3). 77,5% of this volume (131.5 million m3) came from the reuse of effluents and only 22.5% (38.1 million m3) was withdrawn from natural sources and/or purchased from aqueducts. The percentage of reuse regarding the total water required to operate, has been increasing each year, going from 56% in 2017 to 77.5% in 2022, which has allowed a sustained reduction in freshwater withdrawals in recent years, despite higher water requirements to operate.

Water withdrawals from natural sources and aqueducts

In 2022, 38.1 million m3 of water were withdrawn (-6% compared to 2021, and -13% excluding the Tren Nare operated by Ecopetrol since 2022), from surface sources (61%), groundwater (20%) and aqueducts and external suppliers (19%), using 104 withdrawal points across the country. The water collected is mainly used in Refining (74.6%), Production (25.2%) and administrative areas and ICP (0.2%).

Freshwater intensity

The freshwater withdrawal intensity for the processes with the highest demand (refining and production) during the last 5 years is presented in the following chart. Compared to the previous year, there was a decrease of 32% in the intensity of the upstream segment and 2% for the downstream segment.

Water reuse

Ecopetrol is committed to reuse water as a strategy to reduce freshwater withdrawals and discharges. During 2022, 131.5 million m3 of water were reused equivalent to 77.5% of the total required to operate, which means that Ecopetrol avoided the withdrawal and/or discharge of this volume. This figure represents an increase of 18% compared to 2021.

• Industrial water reuse

In 2022, Ecopetrol reused and recirculated 16.9 million m3 of effluents resulting from the use of withdrawn water. The percentage of reuse, calculated as the relationship between the volume of reused-recirculated water and the total volume withdrawn was 44%, showing an increase of 2 percentual points with respect to 2021, due to an increase in reuse at the Barrancabermeja Refinery. In drilling activities, domestic and industrial wastewater is treated by tertiary treatments (reverse osmosis and demineralization) and then reused in the production of drilling mud, equipment washing, cooling water for pumps and other industrial uses.

• Produced water reuse

  In the Upstream processes, 114.6 million m3 of produced water were reused, which represents an increase of 21% compared to 2021, mainly caused by better performance in the reinjection for oil recovery in the Castilla, Apiay, Suria and Chichimene oil fields, the start of the reinjection plants in Casabe and Llanito oil fields, and the start of the pressure sustaining pilot in Rubiales. The percentage of produced water reuse, calculated as the ratio between the volume of reused produced water and the total produced water generated, was 27%, 3 percentage points higher than 2021.

The largest volumes of produced water reuse are concentrated in reinjection activities to maintain reservoir pressure or increase hydrocarbon production (114.3 million m3), and in a lesser extent (0.26 million m3), in the preparation of drilling mud, well maintenance, fire-fighting systems, equipment cooling, power generation (Termosuria), among others.

Effluent management

The total volume of effluents generated by Ecopetrol's operations during 2022 was 465.06 million m3, which includes:

• 430.55 million m3 of produced water (93% of total effluents). Produced water is a natural element during the extraction of hydrocarbons, since oil, gas and water are mixed in reservoirs (on average, for each barrel of oil equivalent, 11 barrels of produced water are generated). This mixture is brought to the surface, where the products (oil and gas) are separated from the water (produced water).

• 35.41 million m3 of wastewater (7% of total effluents), understood as the water resulting from use of water withdrawn in industrial and domestic purposes.

Produced water reinjection

363.86 million m3 of produced water were reinjected back to the underground, which corresponds to 84% of the total produced water; 249.52 million m3 of produced water were reinjected for Disposal, and 114.24 million m3 were reinjected for oil recovery (accounted as reuse).

Reuse of produced water in agricultural activities

The reuse of produced water in agricultural activities is another alternative for wastewater management, framed within Colombian environmental regulations. During 2022, Ecopetrol reused 3,77 million m3 of produced water from Campo Castilla for the irrigation of forest crops in the Agro-Energy Sustainability Area -ASA (1% of the total produced water), complying with the regulations established by environmental authorities for carrying out this activity. Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 64%, due to the start-up of the new sprinkler irrigation system.

Wastewater discharge

A total of 80.3 million m3 of wastewater were discharged, representing an increase of 23% compared to the previous year, caused by the temporary suspension of Castilla’s surface discharge point which was reactivated in June 2021. The upstream segment generated 81,3% of the total discharges (mainly produced water), the downstream segment 18.6%, and corporate areas 0.1%; 95.8% of the discharges were made to surface water bodies, 3.2% to the sea, 0.8% to the ground and 0.2% were delivered to external managers and sewers. In total, 21 basins were used for discharging wastewater.

Initiatives to improve wastewater management and treatment

During 2021, Ecopetrol completed the Reconversion Plans to Clean Technologies in Discharge Management (PRTLGV for its initials in Spanish) of Provincia, Tisquirama, Casabe and Llanito oil fields, which mean the elimination of more than 5 million m3/year of produced water discharged to surface bodies. The PRTLGV of the Tibú and Sardinata fields were also completed, which allowed to improve the quality of the water discharged by these fields.

Plant of Produced Water Reinjection in the Casabe field and Llanito field

Quality of discharges

Before the discharge to natural receivers, wastewater is subjected to specific treatments to remove substances of environmental interest and to assure the compliance of the maximum allowed limits established in environmental regulations.

These years are included in the transition regime allowed by environmental authorities to adjust the treatment systems to comply with the new standard for discharges to surface bodies.

Water consumption

Water consumption is defined as the difference between the volume of water withdrawals and the volume of water that is returned to the natural environment. Using the CDP Water Security Reporting Guidance (2020) methodology, the estimated water consumption in 2022 was 18,5 million m3, which is equivalent to 4% of total inputs. Most of the consumption is recorded in the refining segment due to evaporation losses.

Water related risks

Water is a vital resource for Ecopetrol's operations and projects. For this reason, water related risks are continuously identified, in which possible scenarios that may affect the continuity of operations are evaluated and anticipated. In this sense, a business risk called "Inadequate management of climate change and water" was established since 2020, in which treatment actions and controls are managed at the corporate and operational level to minimize the company's exposure to impacts resulting from the materialization of the identified water-related threats.

1. Direct to the Caribbean · 1206 
The Cartagena Refinery purshased 7,7 Mm3 of raw water from the Cartagena aqueduct, which is equivalent to 3% of the available supply from the sub-basin. As a strategy to minimize the use of water, the Refinery reuses 69% of the purchased water.

2. Sogamoso River · 2405
The Barrancabermeja Refinery withdrawn 2,67 Mm3 of freshwater from the San Silvestre swamp, which is equivalent to 0.1% of the available supply of the sub-basin. For their part, the Llanito and Lisama production fields withdrawn 42 Mm3 from surface and underground points.

3. Juncal River · 2109 and Fortalecillas River · 2111
62,5 Mm3 of freshwater were withdrawn to supply Neiva, Tello and Río Ceibas oil fields. In these fields, 100% of the produced water is reused for oil recovery, and freshwater extracted from deep underground wells, avoiding pressure on the surface resources.

4. Yaguará River · 2108
48,7 Mm3 were withdrawn from the Betania Dam to supply the Yaguará oil field. This value represents 0,01 % of the available water supply of the subbasin. In this facility, 100% of produced water is reused.

Regarding regulatory and legal risks, Ecopetrol actively participated in the processes of modification and updating of regulations related to water resources. In 2021, the following regulations were issued by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development:

• Resolution 1256 of November 23, 2021, which regulates the use of wastewater. The issuance of this standard allows Ecopetrol to maximize the internal water reuse as well as to continue with the reuse of treated produced water for irrigation of forestry crops (ASA-Castilla).

• Resolution 0699 of 2021, which establishes the parameters and maximum permissible limits for domestic wastewater discharges to soil. For this new standard, Ecopetrol provided numerous quality reports of discharges from its assets for baseline establishment and made comments on the different versions of draft standards.

Regarding reputational risks, 207 PQRs (for its initials in Spanish) related to water resources were received in 2021, which represent an increase of 29% compared to 2019 and correspond to approximately 1.4% of the total PQRs received by the Office of Citizen Participation (OPC) of Ecopetrol. The largest number of PQRs related to water are in the Department of Meta (59%), followed by Santander (16%) and Putumayo (5%).

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