Programa de aprovechamiento de gas asociado de Ecopetrol

Audit Analysis

Ecopetrol's associated gas utilization project in Colombia has VVB-verified additionality and a legally mandated capture requirement, but is undermined by a project-specific baseline established after the crediting period began, a 0% buffer pool, unaddressed leakage, and seven material findings requiring corrective action. The verified emissions reductions (20,835 tCO2e) represent roughly 66% of the pro-rata ex-ante expectation for the elapsed monitoring period, which is conservative. Multiple contradictions across documents—particularly in ERR figures, leakage treatment, and safeguards—reduce confidence in the data record.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Seven material findings in the verification report, including baseline deviation at La Cañada, incorrect electricity generation data for Orito, and wrong grid emission factor applied—each requiring corrective action
• ⚠0% buffer pool with no quantified leakage deduction and leakage justification marked 'not addressed' in the most recent verification report (Oct 2022)
• ⚠PDD dated January 2021 post-dates the crediting period start of November 2019, meaning the project was operational before its design document was finalized
• ⚠ERR figures differ by 40% between the verification report (34,912 tCO2e) and the final issuance record (20,835 tCO2e), indicating significant post-verification corrections
• ⚠Safeguards documentation is contradictory: one verification report (Oct 2022) states safeguards are mentioned, the more recent one (Nov 2022) states they are not; FPIC status is not found in any document
• ⚠Gas capture legally mandated — additionality in doubt

Credit Vintages