The SOTE would reestablish its operations on December 29 and the OCP during the first week of January.
The The Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources reported this morning that the country would lose at least $ 600 million due to the problems in the oil sector, due to the suspension of the pumping of crude oil and its consequences generated by the regressive erosion in the Coca River and its tributaries the Quijos and Piedra Fina.
Meanwhile, it was reported that with the seventh variant of the SOTE that is under construction, the pipeline could resume the activities of transporting oil by December 29, while the ninth variant of the Heavy Crude Oil Pipeline (OCP) would be ready for the first. January week. These variants are key to overcoming the problem of the stoppage of the pumping of both pipelines in Ecuador.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Energy, Petroecuador and OCP are executing extended hours work on variants to restore crude oil transportation.
As reported by EP Petroecuador, the seventh variant of the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE), located in the San Luis sector, registers an advance of 73%, while the ninth of the OCP Ecuador is 40% complete.
In the Shushufindi-Quito pipeline, which transports gasoline and LPG, the fifth variant of 2.5 km is at 81% and will be operational from December 18, 2021.
The works for the construction of the variants are carried out in extended days of 24 hours to meet the established deadlines and are carried out under adverse weather conditions, since in the sector the rains are constant.
Government He confirmed that the supply of fuels is guaranteed on a national scale. To face the effects of the natural phenomenon, from the first moment, prevention measures were implemented, such as permanent monitoring, early warnings, suspension of pumping of the SOTE, OCP and Poliducto and the drainage of the hydrocarbons existing in the pipeline, with which avoided environmental damage in the area.
The erosion Regressive is a natural phenomenon that manifested itself since February 2020 when the collapse of the San Rafael waterfall occurred. Then in April of the same year, the phenomenon also known as hungry waters led to the destruction of the two oil pipelines that transport the country’s crude, causing significant economic losses.
This week the advance of erosion was known, for which the pumping had to be suspended, it was also destroyed a section of the Quito-Lago Agrio highway. The phenomenon threatens the town of San Luis and is located a few kilometers from the catchment works of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant.
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