Minem evaluates buying fuel in Ecuador and Colombia before the closure of La Pampilla

The Vice Minister in charge of the Hydrocarbons portfolio, Jorge Chavez Crestarevealed that the Peruvian government is evaluating the possibility of buying fuel in countries in the region, in Ecuador and Colombia, in case the sanction imposed by OEFA on Repsol is not corrected in the short term.

During his presentation before the Energy and Mines Commission of Congress, the official clarified that there is, at the moment, no risk of a shortage of oil derivatives because Repsol still has a margin of days to comply with the OEFA observations, but that they are preparing measures ” in the worst case scenario.

“If it is the case that this measure is continued (closure of La Pampilla), the technical capacity of resorting to other companies to address the national fuel gap is evaluated. If it stays for a long time, there are nearby markets like Colombia and Ecuador (…). Hydrocarbon prices in the region are being coordinated”, he specified.

This represents a special challenge in the case of jet fuel, where Repsol supplies 75% of the market, since it does not have reserves for more than 11 days. In the case of fuel for ships, La Pampilla is supplied, but it cannot tank the ship, today empty, responsible for distributing the resource along the coast.

In this regard, Chávez Cresta stressed the importance of having a strong counterpart on the part of the State to mitigate possible emergency shortages or fuel distribution and production problems.

“This is linked to the possibility of changing the rules to promote Petroperú, without intervening in free competition or going against the market, and that it may, as an organ of the Peruvian State, have a greater participation through the activation of the Refinery. from Talara,” he said.

It should be noted that, in Colombia, the largest hydrocarbon exploitation company is ecopetrol, of mixed capitals, whose 85% shareholding falls on the State. In the case of Ecuador, 20% of oil production derives from private companies and 80% from public companies. Petroecuador.

“It is an issue that we have to take through this Commission (of Energy and Mines) to establish the corresponding policy and not have this dependency (on the private sector), which is a kind of being tied to what can be taken or not. during the distribution”, added the deputy minister.