Wood has been awarded a detailed engineering design contract by Ecopetrol, Colombia’s majority state-owned oil company, to support the Línea Base de Calidad de Combustibles (LBCC), or Clean Fuels initiative, at its Barrancabermeja refinery—Colombia’s largest and oldest refining facility.
The LBCC project aims to significantly enhance fuel quality and reduce environmental emissions, aligning with Colombia’s national targets for cleaner energy and Ecopetrol’s long-term decarbonization strategy. Under this contract, Wood will deliver comprehensive redesigns of key infrastructure at the Barrancabermeja refinery to enable the production of low-sulfur gasoline, helping to reduce air pollution and improve public health outcomes in central Colombia.
The Barrancabermeja refinery currently accounts for more than 40% of Colombia’s total fuel consumption, making its modernization critical to the country’s energy transition and emissions reduction efforts.
John Day, President of Projects for the Western Hemisphere at Wood, commented:
“Cleaner fuels are critical as we balance the need for energy security with the transition to a lower-carbon future. Wood’s redesign of the Barrancabermeja refinery is a vital step toward Ecopetrol’s 2050 net-zero emissions goal.
“Our two-decade-long partnership with Ecopetrol—particularly our focused support of the clean fuels program over the past five years—has given us a strong understanding of the project’s timeline, technical scope, and strategic importance. We’re proud to help improve air quality for communities across Colombia.”
The first production of cleaner gasoline from the upgraded refinery is expected by 2030. More than 250 Wood employees will be involved in delivering this transformative project.