2024-10-05 16:34:59
Force majeure was declared because heavy rains in the province of Napo have significantly accelerated the erosion of the Quijos River and put the OCP pipeline infrastructure at high risk.
This June 17, 2024, the Heavy Crude Oil Pipeline (OCP Ecuador) announced that he had to suspend its operations and close the valves through which the oil passes.
Force majeure was declared due to the growing risk of damage to the infrastructure of the pipeline, which is located in the Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda parish, canton The Chaco.
It’s all because the intense rains of recent days, which have gained strength in provinces such as Napahave consequences such as the significant acceleration of the process of regressive erosion on the margins of Quijos River.
The problem again is that due to the intense rains that occurred in the country, especially in the province of Napo, the erosion of the Quijos River was significantly accelerated.
Regressive erosion is a natural phenomenon that threatens and has already caused damage to oil pipelines, polyducts and roads in the areas of influence. It is even threatening, in the case of the Coca River, the catchment infrastructure of the hydroelectric plant. Coca Elbow Sinclair.
So far, the paralysis of the operations of the Trans-Ecuadorian Oil Pipeline System (SOTE) has not been reported.
The OCP has the capacity to transport about 450,000 barrels of crude oil per day, but currently transports 207,000, about 43% of national production.
By: LA HORA Newspaper