Finally, on the decarbonization front, the upstream segment reduced 351,000 tons of CO2 equivalent above the expected target for the year, contributing to 83% of the group’s greenhouse gas emission reduction. These results were achieved thanks to energy efficiency initiatives in the Piedmont fields and the reduction of methane emissions in fields such as Dina Cretaceous, Jasmin, and Provincia, among others. By year end, we expect production in the range of 720 to 731,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Let’s move on to the next slide, please. In the Permian Basin, 33 new wells were drilled during the quarter for a total of 312 cumulative wells since 2019, reaching an average production of 66,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, net to Ecopetrol before royalties.
By the end of September, a record production of 120,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day was achieved in our Permian assets, of which 74,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day are Ecopetrol net. In line with our TESG strategy, our assets maintain a low carbon intensity between seven and eight kilograms of CO2 per barrel, a low carbon intensity between seven and eight kilograms of CO2 per barrel. Also, progress has been made in the initiative to replace diesel with compressed natural gas in drilling and completion generation operations, achieving an average cumulative substitution of 30%. By year end, we expect an average production between 62 to 64,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day before royalties and the drilling of more than 110 wells.
Let’s move on to the next slide, please. In the midstream segment, transported volumes increased by approximately 52,000 barrels per day as compared to the third quarter of the previous year, mainly due to the higher production in the Llanos region and additional barrels from third parties that were outside of our pipeline network. We highlight that in September 2023, a 42-month crude oil evacuation record was achieved, reaching 850,000 barrels per day, showing pre-pandemic levels. In the product pipeline transport, we highlight the performance of the Pozos Colorado’s Galan system, which reached a pumping rate of 160,000 barrels per day, achieving a system transportation record with direct pumping to the Barrancabermeja refinery. During the third quarter of the year, a successful dilution test of Rubiales crude oil was performed at the Monterrey station, where 88,500 barrels of naphtha were received for dilution, and in total, 562,000 barrels of Rubiales crude were diluted from approximately 15 degrees to 21 degrees API quality, which leverages the midstream strategy of becoming an integrated logistics service provider by offering solutions that reduce transportation costs for shippers.
Finally, during the quarter, the cost per barrel transported decreased by 43 cents per barrel compared to the same period of the previous year, mainly explained by higher maintenance and contracted service costs, as well as higher volumes of crude oil and products transported. Let’s move on to the next slide, please. In the downstream segment, during the third quarter, scheduled maintenance were executed in line with the annual plan to guarantee the operational availability and reliability of the assets. As of the end of September, 90% of the annual shutdown plan was completed, and in October, the maintenance of the crude oil unit U-001 in the Cartagena refinery was also concluded. The refineries achieved a consolidated throughput of 410,000 barrels per day and an integrated gross margin of $20.6 per barrel, supported by the continuous operation of the interconnection of the Cartagena crude plants, IPCC by its acronym in Spanish, the removal of bottlenecks while achieving 95.1% operational availability.
This resulted in an EBITDA of COP 2.5 trillion, mainly explained by the incorporation of efficiencies, feedstock optimization, higher polypropylene prices, as well as favorable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel prices. During the quarter, we made progress in achieving milestones, including the production of premium gasoline with less than 15 parts per million of sulfur at both refineries, paving with recycled plastic asphalt in roads at the Barrancabermeja refinery. Essentia, a subsidiary of the Ecopetrol Group, announced the start of the first advanced chemical recycling project in South America, which in its first stage will recover around 500 tons of plastic waste that is difficult to recycle and transform into raw material for new plastic elements.
With the first delivery of pyrolytic oil from post-consumer plastic waste to the Barrancabermeja refinery, this project officially begins in Colombia and opens the door to producing 100% circular polypropylene from post-consumer plastic. Finally, during the third quarter, the refining cash cost increased by $1.24 per barrel compared to the 3Q 2022, primarily due to the rescheduling of activities from previous months, higher cost execution, increased operational activity, and inflation. I will now hand over the floor to David Riano, who will comment on the main milestones of the low-emission solution business.
David Riano: Thank you, Alberto and Ricardo, for introducing me. It is a true honor to address all of you in this new role within the Company that serves all Colombians. I’d like to begin by expressing my gratitude for the trust the Company has placed in me and reaffirming my commitment to continue contributing to a more sustainable world while delivering value to our investors. As of September 2023, the natural gas and LPG production reached 161,000 barrels equivalent per day, representing about 23% of the group’s production mix, with a generated EBITDA of COP 2.5 trillion and an EBITDA margin of 40%, reinforcing our commitment to positioning natural gas as the energetic transition fuel during the third quarter of 2023, we launched different commercial processes that seek to contribute to the group’s strategic objectives.
Among them, we highlighted the completion of the long-term gas commercialization process of the Gibraltar, Capachos, Cusiana, and Cupiagua fields, in addition to the public offering of LPG quantities for the period between September 2023 and February 2024, volumes that will supply approximately 77% of the domestic market. On the other hand, the operation of our Brisas, Castilla, and San Fernando solar parks, in addition to the Cantayus small hydroelectric plant, has allowed us to reduce close to 19,000 tons of CO2 equivalent and capture savings of more than COP 28 billion so far this year. Likewise, we made progress in the construction of the solar parks of Captagena, La Sera, Copay, Ayacucho, and Basconia of our subsidiary, CENIT, in addition to the park of the subsidiary ODC in Caucasia.
