Ecopetrol has contracted a third exclusive-use tanker to transport fuels including gasoline, diesel, naphtha and jet fuel, as Colombia’s state-controlled energy group seeks to lower logistics costs and secure supply flows amid volatility in global shipping markets, the company said.
The vessel, named High Challenge, has a carrying capacity of about 320,000 barrels and weighs close to 50,000 tonnes. Ecopetrol said the arrangement, structured under a time-charter agreement, is expected to reduce transportation costs by more than 46% compared with prevailing international market rates.
The ship will primarily move domestically produced fuels between the Colombian ports of Santa Marta, Cartagena and Barranquilla, while also supporting imports from the US Gulf Coast when additional supply is required.
Ecopetrol expects the vessel’s first cargo — a gasoline shipment of 300,000 barrels — to arrive in Colombia before the end of May.
The move reflects a broader effort by the company to strengthen logistical control over refined-product distribution at a time when freight markets remain exposed to geopolitical tensions, higher insurance costs and fluctuating fuel demand. Analysts have pointed to maritime transport expenses as a growing factor affecting refining margins and domestic fuel supply chains across Latin America.
Since 2024, Ecopetrol has incorporated three vessels under time-charter contracts to support the commercialisation of fuels, heavy crude and liquid asphalt. The company said the fleet has achieved 92% operational time efficiency since the programme began.
The expansion also comes as Colombia continues to depend on imported gasoline to supplement local refining output, particularly during periods of maintenance or rising domestic consumption. Securing dedicated shipping capacity could help reduce exposure to spot freight rates and improve delivery reliability for the country’s fuel market.
Ecopetrol, Colombia’s largest company by revenue, has increasingly prioritised operational efficiency and logistics optimisation as part of its strategy to protect margins amid softer crude prices and tighter market conditions.
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