Oil production is already at 99% of the levels prior to the blackout of 728 wells

The Ecuadorian oil production was about to reach on December 15 the levels it had before the blackout generated by an atmospheric discharge that damaged the transmission line El Vergel Jivino 3 and that affected 728 wells causing the loss of at least 56,000 barrels, a fact that occurred on December 11.

According to data from the Energy Regulation and Control Agency (ARC), oil production as of December 15 was 492,581 barrels, a figure lower than the 493,418 barrels registered before the incident (December 10), but which represents 99.8% of previous production. As of December 15, only Petroecuador’s production stood at 384,123 barrels, a figure also lower than that registered on December 10 and which reached 385,029 barrels, represents 99.7%.

Regarding the loss generated, Ramón Correa, Petroecuador’s Exploration and Production manager, acknowledged that the electrical transmission line has not had the necessary maintenance, mainly due to a lack of budget. He said it in an interview on a radio program with journalist Andrés López. He explained that the current administration is managing the necessary resources to carry out the work next year.

The three blocks with the highest production that were affected, among others, by the blackout were Sacha, directly operated by Petroecuador, and Auca and Shushufindi, operated by Schlumberger, under a specific service contract. In the case of Sacha and Auca, both fields or blocks have already exceeded the levels prior to the mishap, since on December 15 Sacha stood at 71,156 barrels when on December 10 it was at 71,066 barrels.

In the case of Auca, its production was located at 75,441 barrels, when it was at 75,289. Shushufindi, on the other hand, has not been able to exceed it, since on December 15 it was at 81,961 barrels and on December 10 it had 82,934 barrels.

Oil production represents an important income for the country, which is why the Government proposed from the first day to increase it and even double it until the end of the period. However, several problems have arisen that have prevented this increase. Among them, pipeline ruptures, indigenous stoppages and now electrical failures. Recently, Minister Fernando Santos Alvite indicated that the doubling goal is not viable.

Meanwhile, the last electrical failure occurred in the transmission line that is managed by Petroecuador, and that according to the company itself, it could not be contained by the Jivino 3 station, as the protections that should have been activated to prevent the spread did not act. The problem arose because the grounding protection systems were stolen at the El Vergel-Jivino 3 station. These Stolen protection systems that have not been replaced are a kind of lightning rod.

Petroecuador has said that the electrical system of the Amazon District, which is managed by this state oil company, It has been in operation for more than 40 years and has not had comprehensive maintenance since 2016. It has also ensured that EP Petroecuador is working on short and medium term plans to mitigate this external risk that impacts production losses associated with electrical failures.

He explained that the company has been a victim of crime that removed the protections of that line, which functioned as a lightning rod and that this was what caused almost 800 wells to fall like dominoes after the lightning strike.

Now the technicians are pending the protections, but he indicated that it is a very large territory. He said that at the moment Petroecuador is the third largest consumer of energy. in the first place is Guayaquil, then Quito and in third place the oil company.

Regarding oil production, he calculated that by the end of the period Ecuador would reach around 600,000 barrels. (YO)