Petroecuador reported that at 02:30 on March 2, 2023the company started the start of the Shushufindi – Quito oil pipeline, after the completion of preventive tasks carried out by technicians from the state oil company and the Army Corps of Engineering, in order to secure the pipeline in the Marker River sector, in the province of Napo.

In this way, the transportation and production of Ecuadorian crude oil, which experienced a crisis after the collapse of the bridge, returns to normal Marker River, in the Reventador area, which led to the paralysis of the activities of the three main pipelines in the country: the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE), in the hands of Petroecuador; Heavy Crude Oil Pipeline (OCP) in private hands and Poliducto also in the hands of Petroecuador.

Director General(s) of Petroecuador, María Elisa Soledispa, indicated that the pipeline began by pumping base gasoline from Sucumbíos to the El Beaterio terminal in Quito and LPG to the Oyambaro terminal.

He explained that he currently transports around 10,000 barrels of fuel per day. He additionally stated that the cancellation of the declaration of force majeure for oil exploration and production and export activities will be analyzed, considering that the gradual ignition of wells located in the Amazonian fields has begun.

In this way, Petroecuador Already on Wednesday, the pumping of SOTE was started again, and this Thursday also the polyduct. Meanwhile, a few minutes ago, the company OCP released a statement notifying that OCP’s activity is close to resuming the provision of crude oil transportation services. He also commented that “the tasks were carried out normally without harming the environment”.

Soledisp said that with the completion of these works Petroecuador will begin construction of variants: the eighth for the Transecuador gas pipeline system (SOTE) and the sixth for Poliducto Shushufindi-Quito. The work will be coordinated together with the private company OCP Ecuador SA (which manages OCP).

Currently, two options for working on new variants are being analyzed: the first, 600 meters above the Marker River, and the second variant located 3.7 kilometers at the top in order to be as far away from the river as possible. and Reventador Volcano. The purpose is to have these options appear until the final variant is made.

The state oil company reported that it will continue to implement preventive measures to protect the SOTE and Poliduct infrastructure in the area of ​​the Marker River and the regressive erosion of the Coca and Quijos Rivers and their tributaries.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Energy, Fernando Santos, indicated this Thursday morning, March 2, in an interview with Radio Quito, to look for a definitive variant that will remove the pipelines from this nightmare of regressive erosion and problems with the tributaries of the Coca River. He also explained that it would be a detour that would entail a change of route 60 or 70 kilometers of pipeline. This requires studies and investments, which would mean about 200 million dollars for SOTE, polyduct and OCP. The state would take care of the first two, and the company itself would take care of OCP, which is in private hands.

Contract prepared for Coca Codo Sinclair

In the interview, the minister reported that a delegation of companies is expected to arrive in the country by mid-March. Sinohydro and China Power, negotiate final delivery of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant. This, despite the failures and risks that exist around this property that cost the state about 3000 million dollars. This central one There are cracks in the manifolds, which are factory defects and threats created by the regressive erosion itself, which could affect the area of ​​drainage works. In this regard, Santos said that the proposed solution is for the companies to retain the plant and take responsibility for the repair; further, that the plant will continue to produce energy and that it will charge a reasonable fee for it.