Gran Tierra Energy’s environmental policy calls for the Company to track its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and take steps to reduce them wherever economically feasible.

Gran Tierra continues to voluntarily retain a respected expert in the field of air quality, to create an assessment of its greenhouse gas emissions in Colombia and Ecuador. This assessment involves collecting, analyzing and quantifying annual air emissions data from GTE’s operations. It was conducted according to the guidelines and standards adopted by the following organizations: International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), American Petroleum Industry (API), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Since 2016, the Company has also reported to the Carbon Disclosure Project.

An updated assessment using 2022 air emissions data has been released. View the Greenhouse Gas & Air Quality Report here.

Electrical Power Use

In 2023, 68% of the total energy used in Gran Tierra’s total operations was generated through the Gas-to-Power projects. GTE’s energy consumption from the municipal grid has decreased by 50% since 2018. The Company continues to develop Gas-to-Power projects to decrease its use of electrical power from the local grid.

Nature-based solutions are an important pillar of Gran Tierra’s emissions reductions efforts, and the company supports environmental projects that aid in natural carbon sequestration. Natural carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric CO₂, as forests, wetlands and vegetation sequester carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it into organic matter.

Costayaco Forestry Centre: A Unique Resource for Reforestation

The Costayaco Forestry Centre (CFC), established by Gran Tierra Energy in coordination with the regional environmental regulator, and Corpoamazonia is one of the most innovative reforestation efforts in South America. The CFC contains 335 hectares of new and maturing forested areas, and is close to achieving its long-term goal of connecting a critical ecological corridor linking the Andean foothills with the Amazon Rainforest. These two ecosystems are some of the most biodiverse in the world.

In total GTE has planted 1.64 million trees and has conserved, preserved, or reforested 4,514 hectares of land through all of the Company’s environmental efforts since 2018. Careful management ensures that the once-delicate saplings grow into sturdy, mature trees that contribute to the national emissions reduction strategy goals.

Through the CFC, Gran Tierra has planted over 200,000 trees across the Putumayo and Cauca Departments, and over 72,000 trees have been donated to local communities and educational centres. The Centre also works to increase environmental awareness by providing educational opportunities for communities to learn about the importance of protecting the forests and environment.

To learn more about the Costayaco Forestry Centre, click here.

Reforestation Project with Conservation International

Gran Tierra prioritizes the protection and conservation of the environment and works with organizations that share similar values. Gran Tierra, in partnership with respected International NGO Conservation International, has contributed USD $18 million over eight years to a major reforestation and conservation project. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended its support another four years, to this project that has already yielded great results for the region.

Given that nature-based approaches including conservation and restoration of tropical forests can provide 30% of the solution to climate change, Gran Tierra believes that projects and partnerships such as this are contributing positively. It is expected that the actions developed by NaturAmazonas will contribute to reducing the rate of deforestation in the Amazonian foothills by at least 20%.

Furthermore, the overall objective of the NaturAmazonas project is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazon region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested areas previously affected by deforestation. The project also helps residents live and work in harmony with the forest, all while fostering partnerships with important regional and national institutions needed to implement long-term change at scale.

To read more about the NaturAmazonas project, click here.

Gran Tierra’s ongoing effort to reduce direct emissions by converting associated gas produced from its wells into an energy source for its operations, continues to generate results. Additionally, converting gas to electricity significantly reduces the demand on municipal utilities, increases fiscal resilience by lowering unit production costs, and provides a more stable energy supply, while reducing flaring and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Company’s Gas-to-Power (G2P) program has significantly reduced emissions intensity over the last few years by using produced natural gas to produce electricity, reduce flaring, and significantly reduce the need to purchase, transport, and burn diesel fuel.  When excess power is produced, GTE can provide additional electricity to the local grid helping residents and stabilizing energy sources. 2023 saw a 19% increase in electricity generated from gas from GTE’s operations on local grids.

With all major fields fully converted, GTE has turned its attention towards generating gas power at its smaller locations and finding ways to implement this strategy at our fields in Ecuador.