EP Petroecuador has reactivated its associated gas capture project. This time it is focused on an oil field: Cuyabeno. This initiative received 37 letters of interest for a bidding process seeking the financing and execution of a project for the capture of associated gas in the oil fields in the province of Sucumbíos. The goal is to use the accompanying gas to obtain 6.8 MW of electricity production. Letters of interest are coming from domestic and international companies, Petroecuador reported.

According to the state-owned company, this project will optimize the use of accompanying gas and generate energy, while also thinking about reducing CO2 emissions.

In October 2023, a measurement conducted by company technicians revealed that the Cuyabeno station produces an average of 6.97 million cubic feet of associated gas per day, so there is significant potential to reduce diesel consumption. In addition, these areas have valid environmental permits.

The accompanying gas is one of the components of the three-phase fluid that is extracted from the oil wells, and consists of water, gas and oil.

The offer was opened on December 23, a week before the departure of the previous CEO Reinaldo Armijos. The call would be led by the official Tomás Márquez, in charge of projects. There are already observations on the subject. Jorge Luis Hidalgo, manager of Green Power, believes that the tender does not have adequate parameters for the efficient use of the advantages of gas.

He explains that this lighter has a significant amount of CO2, but the tender does not foresee the use of CO2 or propane and butane. We prefer to talk about the production of electricity, but in case there is excess gas, we choose to install an oxidizer to burn the gas. It is the burning of gas that is harmful to the environment and is against the policy according to which the state is obliged to make the burners of the Amazon non-existent.

In this sense, Hidalgo said that at least his company will not participate in the tender.

At least two gas tenders were planned in the previous administration of Petroecuador. The first is the concession for Campo Amistad to increase local production. In the end, it was declared abandoned. A tender was previously announced for the extraction of associated gas at several oil fields. Only the company Amazon Tech remained in the competition, but in the end it did not get the job.