Given the landslide that blocked part of the Pan-American Highway, the Ministry of Mines and Energy is allowed to report that it continues to monitor the progress of the measures implemented to guarantee fuel supply in the southwestern part of the country.
The Entity reported that a ship will arrive at the port of Barranquilla to mobilize 30,000 barrels of liquid fuel and will set sail tomorrow for Tumaco, where it is expected to arrive on January 22 and continue its course to alleviate the situation in Nariño and Cauca. .
In addition, the Ministry indicated, the 37 vehicles that were mobilized through the roads of Ecuador, arrived today in the city of Neiva, where they will be loaded with 3,000 barrels of regular gasoline and diesel to start the transfer to Pasto tomorrow. The Entity highlighted the joint work that was carried out with the Foreign Ministry and the Military Forces to provide accompaniment.
On the other hand, the daily flow of barges from Buenaventura to Tumaco with regular gasoline and diesel with an average capacity of 100,000 gallons has been guaranteed, allowing one day’s supply of inventory in the region to be supported.
Today, in addition, the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Colombian Navy carried out a sea tour adjacent to the port of Tumaco to determine the docking point of the ship authorized to transport liquefied petroleum gas in two tanks with a capacity of 27 tons each. Each trip through the humanitarian corridor between Buenaventura and Tumaco will take place in an approximate transit time of 30 hours. To guarantee the success of the operation, it was decided to carry out a pilot test in the next two days and thus, once the logistical requirements were identified, to be able to transmit to the country the certainty that the transport would be carried out permanently and safely.
The ministry also reported that, thanks to the joint work between Colombian and Ecuadorian authorities, the movement of 16 vehicles through Ecuadorian territory has been guaranteed, making the bridge between San Miguel and Rumichaca. The Director of Hydrocarbons (e) Isleany Angulo Quiñones, assured that “this transport will allow us to have 14 tank trucks of Liquefied Petroleum Gas and 2 more that carry Compressed Natural Gas and that will allow us to cover the immediate demand of the city of Pasto”. With the same objective, under the coordination of the Ministry and with the participation of suppliers, at this time 18 tractor-trailers are heading towards Cusiana and Cupiagua in the department of Casanare with the mission of loading LPG and transporting it immediately to Nariño where it is expected that arrive next Sunday.
Faced with the concern of some citizens about possible increases in fuel prices due to the emergency, the Ministry of Mines and Energy reiterated that they are working on a supply scheme that has the least impact for the user and made it clear in that for the sale of fuel in the service stations of Nariño it is not necessary to issue a new resolution, since the current regulation allows the distribution, as reported today to the Mayor’s Office of Ipiales in a meeting held in the afternoon .
Finally, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Irene Vélez Torres, stressed that the strategy for the implementation of the articulated contingency plan for fuel supply in this area of the country will continue to be strengthened and that it began from the first moment it was registered. the emergency.