Supplemental information on oil and gas producing activities (unaudited) - Additional Information (Details) (Imported) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023 COP ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 COP ($) item	Dec. 31, 2021 COP ($)
Supplemental information on oil and gas producing activities (unaudited)
Provisions for asset retirement obligations included in cost capitalized to natural and environmental properties	$ 4,101,617	$ 1,979,749	$ 3,930,370
Expense related to the asset retirement obligations	477,511	333,683	292,329
Depreciation, depletion and amortization related to asset retirement obligations	$ 438,675	$ 768,466	$ 887,725
Percentage of transferred crude oil and gas production based on value to intercompany units	18.70%	21.80%	19.90%
Percentage of transferred crude oil and gas production based on volume to intercompany units	57.00%	50.40%	52.10%
Percentage of estimated reserve specialized firms	99.80%
Estimated costs related to assets retirement obligations	$ 22,615,261	$ 23,234,408	$ 17,364,520
Ownership Interest	49.00%	49.00%
Ecopetrol Oleo e Gas do Brasil Ltda
Supplemental information on oil and gas producing activities (unaudited)
Number of offshore blocks acquired and capitalized \| item		7
Ecopetrol Oleo e Gas do Brasil Ltda \| Offshore blocks in Santos Basin \| Ecopetrol Brazil
Supplemental information on oil and gas producing activities (unaudited)
Percentage of participation		30.00%
Ecopetrol Oleo e Gas do Brasil Ltda \| Offshore blocks in Santos Basin \| Shell
Supplemental information on oil and gas producing activities (unaudited)
Percentage of participation		70.00%

The amount of accretion expense related to asset retirement obligations is recognized during the reporting period.

No definition available.

Name:	ec_AccretionExpenseRelatedToAssetRetirementObligations
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of depreciation, depletion and amortization related to asset retirement obligations is recognized during the reporting period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationRelatedToAssetRetirementObligations
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Its represents percentage of estimated reserve percentage of specialized firms.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_EstimatedReservePercentageSpecializedFirms
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_ExplorationForAndEvaluationOfMineralResourceLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of estimated future accumulated cash outflow for costs to be incurred in producing proved oil and gas reserves related to asset retirement obligations..

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_FutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedCrudeOilAndGasReservesNetProductionCostsEstimatedCostsForAssetRetirementObligations
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of natural and environmental properties, which includes, but is not limited to, natural and environmental properties from asset retirement obligations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_NaturalAndEnvironmentalPropertiesIncludingAssetRetirementObligations
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This represents the information about number of offshore blocks acquired and capitalized.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_NumberOfOffshoreBlocksAcquiredAndCapitlized
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

It represents the percentage rate of crude oil and gas production based on value which transferred during the reporting period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_PercentageOfCrudeOilAndGasProductionBasedOnValue
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

It represents the percentage rate of crude oil and gas production based on volume which transferred during the reporting period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_PercentageOfCrudeOilAndGasProductionBasedOnVolume
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This represents the information about percentage of ownership interest in unapproved properties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ec_PercentageOfOwnershipInUnapprovedProperties
Namespace Prefix:	ec_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The proportion of ownership interest in a subsidiary attributable to the entity. [Refer: Subsidiaries [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2023-01-01
-Paragraph 17
-Subparagraph b
-Clause iii
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=27&code=ifrs-tx-2023-en-r&anchor=para_17_b_iii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2023-03-23

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2023-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph b
-Clause iii
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=27&code=ifrs-tx-2023-en-r&anchor=para_16_b_iii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2023-03-23

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2023-01-01
-Paragraph 19B
-Subparagraph c
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=12&code=ifrs-tx-2023-en-r&anchor=para_19B_c&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2023-03-23

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ProportionOfOwnershipInterestInSubsidiary
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=ec_EcopetrolOleoEGasDoBrasilLtdaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ec_IfrsNameOfPropertyAxis=ec_OffshoreBlocksInSantosBasinMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=ec_EcopetrolBrazilMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_SignificantInvestmentsInAssociatesAxis=ec_EcopetrolOleoEGasDoBrasilLtdaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=ec_ShellMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: