Ministry of Energy says that Court ruling does not affect current work at ITT

The The Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources (MERNNR) reported that the ruling of the Constitutional Court that oil operations are prohibited in the buffer zone of the Yasuní National Park it does not affect the current activities carried out by the state company Petroecuador in the area.

The State Portfolio explained that all the oil activities that are carried out in the country have the environmental permits corresponding to the different phases, and are carried out in strict compliance with the laws, regulations and regulations in force.

In the case of the ITT, the Petroecuador company has already carried out operations in Tambococha, Tiputini and is now committed to exploiting the Ishpingo (closer to Yasuní). In this sense, the Ministry said that Petroecuador is currently carrying out activities on the Ishpingo Norte A and B platforms, which have their respective environmental license and are outside the buffer zone, “so the Court’s ruling does not affect these operations”.

However, although the Ministry does not mention it, the decision it would affect the future plans that were presented a few days ago by the manager of Petroecuador, Ítalo Cedeño, and that they planned to implement five new platforms right in the buffer zone.

In this sense, the Court’s decision does constitute a new obstacle to comply with the Government’s forecasts of reaching a duplication of the production to one million barrels per day in the medium term.

According to Cedeño’s plan, in each of the platforms A and B, which are in full development and for which a drilling tender has been opened, 20 wells could be established. With them, an increase in 45,000 barrels. On the other hand, the other five platforms (which could no longer be carried out) planned to increase production by an additional 100,000 barrels. This second part of the plan would remain unsubstantiated, unless they found other ways of exploiting it without approaching the buffer zone.

Meanwhile, the Ministry recalled that the Declaration of National Interest (DIN) in 2013 authorized the intervention of EP Petroecuador in the 1×1000 of the Yasuní National Park, which is equivalent to 1,030 hectares. But after the 2018 consultation, it was approved to reduce this area to 400 hectares for licensing and intervention. To date, 78.86 hectares have been intervened, that is, 25.62% of the licensed area. (I)