DESVIACIÓN ESTÁNDAR DE LA DIRECCIÓN DEL VIENTO

The OLG, a mix of propane and butane in a normal 80% and 20% proportion, is originated in the oil refining process or can be found as part of crude and natural gas in the hydrocarbons fields. In Colombia, is mainly produced by the oil refineries, where is simultaneously obtained from diverse transformation processes, generating continuous changes in the final mixture quality, limiting its role as a energetic, mainly for cooking and water warming in the households.

Even though, being a fuel of high energetic performance, with great use versatility, easy to transport and generating lower polluting emissions, its consumption has progressively being reduced, contrary to what was pretended in the gas massification plan, which proposed the creation of a gas culture and to gradually extend its services to those regions where it was not economically feasible the entry of natural gas, such as the rural areas and the big cities peripheries.

The found reasons are varied and from diverse origin, to give answer to the progressively reduction of consumption: the natural gas penetration in the cities at the Country’s interior, a price increasing tendency, restraining the possibility of entering into new markets, a regulatory framework without clear definition, a low entrepreneurial management originated in financial insufficiency of some companies and the informality of others, seriously threatening the industry survival.

With regard to transportation, given the OLG market evolution with reducing demands, no restrictions had been found for its transfer from the refinery. Notwithstanding, a remuneration scheme of this activity, based on distance signals, reduces the competition possibilities, in front of other energetic and contrary to the objective of maximizing the OLG penetration in the cities’ peripheries and in remote regions where the natural gas network construction is expensive.

The distribution – commercialization is perform through different capacities cylinders and through stationary tanks, similar to natural gas, facility that has not being used to enter into new markets, as the electricity small generation, which entered in remote areas or in the agro-industry, where they are a large number of applications. On the other hand, the economic resources needed to maintain the cylinders and tanks in good mechanical condition (maintenance and reposition), offering guarantee to the users, are assure. Considering that this energetic meets the needs of households, whose possibilities and alternatives to improve the quality of life, are limited by its purchase power, is necessary to ensure the full and accessible supply, which will also allow an integral improvement of the population social welfare and of the economic activities in the territories outside the urban areas. This activities include and interesting market niche for the OLG.

There exists extended technologies and application portfolio, involved in the agro industrial activities that can develop new possibilities of consumption, and at the same time, foster the regional economic development. In that sense, it is required to modify and to extend the rural OLG program, accompanied by training schemes in the use and safe handling of this fuel, to generate confidence in the users and to assure the permanence of the companies.

On the other hand, the new OLG production, coming from Cusiana fields, and whose quality will exceed the refining standards, would allow a change in the supply operational scheme, because of its geographic location, guaranteeing the domestic supply in the medium term and making possible its export and the development of petrochemical projects with greater aggregated value. In these circumstances and according to the proposals included in the National Development Plan, it is necessary to carry out a program to consolidate the use of OLG as an energetic in the periphery of the cities, in the most populated municipality areas, that do not have natural gas services and in the rural areas, for which, it is necessary to develop a market scheme that allows to reach better coverage levels and better quality of service, as well as an analysis of the potential of new uses that generate productivity and socio-economic welfare,

With regard to the sustainability subject, the CREG has put to the consideration of the society, several documents, in which some important changes are proposed in the sectorial regulatory framework, and therefore a definite adoption of such framework, is required, for orientation and consolidation of this industry.

™ To measure the OLG availability for energetic uses

o To characterize the OLG supply including the contribution of the new production projects.

o To study and define the use of OLG refinery projects targeted to the petrochemical sector.

™ To develop a program to consolidate the use of OLG as an energetic in the cities peripheries, in the most populated municipality areas that do not count with the natural gas service and in the rural areas.

o To carry out a study where the market scheme and the technologies of supply are identified, which allow to reach greater levels of coverage and better quality of service.

™ To define the regulatory and institutional framework, that makes feasible the OLG sector development, for which the institutional subjects, such agents’ behavior and tariffs, should be taken into account.