Petroecuador ignited 1643 oil wells without problems, after the resumption of crude oil pumping by The Trans-Ecuadorian Oil Pipeline System (SOTE) and the Shushufindi – Quito pipeline. In parallel, on March 5, 2023, EP Petroecuador lifted the declaration of ‘force majeure’ that governed its activities, in order to normalize operations throughout the state oil company’s value chain. He reported on that Director General (S) EP Petroecuador, María Elisa Soledispa.

Petroecuador had to suspend the work of these two pipelines when, due to the influence of rain and the rise of the Marker River, the ground on which the supports of both structures were located weakened. As a result, the production and export of crude oil also had to be paralyzed.

Soledispa pointed out that in the next few days it is expected to reach the level of production before the suspension of pumping and to continue exporting crude oil to the international market. It has more than 95% of its production to date, 373,877 barrels of oil equivalent per day, he said.

In addition, it was reported that 25 could not be started, requiring restoration work. These wells that could not be restored immediately, are associated with 4,200 barrels per day of delayed production. Likewise, Petroecuador said drilling campaigns planned for this year will continue with the consortium.

The company also announced in a statement that before the reactivation of the wells, preventive, corrective and opportunistic maintenance work on production facilities, electrical equipment, surface pumps, among others, was carried out through the contribution of the technical staff of the state oil company.

For example, in Auca, block 60, work was done on: installation of STP drains; inspection of insulators, disconnectors and protective wires, replacement of insulators, protective wires, disconnectors; fan system maintenance, switches; among others.

In case of Cononaco, Block 61, Replacement of batteries and fuses, maintenance of 15kV cable clamps and 13.8kV SWGR was carried out. And in Yuca, adjustment of power and control cables, cleaning of insulators, purification of gases, installation of lightning rods as part of 5MVA transformer maintenance and repair Scythian five chemical pumps due to recurring failures.

These complementary jobs were carried out according to the established plan and enabled the public company to continue working in the fields in better conditions.

EP Petroecuador operates in 25 oil blocks, 22 in the Amazon and three on the coast, and is responsible for about 80% of national crude oil production. In addition, the public company guarantees the timely supply of fuel to the country.