The Ecuadorian state oil company, Petroecuador, announced this Saturday that it has completed work to protect its pipeline system in the El Reventador sector, an active volcano in which a process of natural soil erosion has been recorded.
With the support of the Ecuadorian Army Corps of Engineers, Petroecuador placed a support tower for the pipeline system in the area of the bridge over the Marker River (in the Amazonian province of Napo), which collapsed on February 22.
The Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE) and the state-owned Poliducto for the transport of derivatives between the Amazonian town of Shushufindi and the country’s capital, Quito, pass through this sector.
Likewise, parallel to these pipes is the Heavy Crude Oil Pipeline (OCP), which is operated by private companies, and which is also at risk due to the erosion process in the area.
Petroecuador, in a statement, informed that the works in the sector have been carried out according to an established plan and expressed the certainty that the new tower will guarantee the full operation of the pipes.
The state oil company indicated that it continues with the studies to analyze the best options for the construction of variants to the route of the oil pipelines in the area, which represent a definitive solution.
The process of natural soil erosion has affected an important area surrounding El Reventador, a volcano located about 90 kilometers east of Quito and which has maintained permanent eruptive activity since 2002.
Oil is one of the country’s most important export products and one of the bases for financing the Ecuadorian State budget.
Ecuador currently produces about 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day, 70 percent of which is destined for export and the rest used for the production of derivatives for domestic consumption. EFE