Ecuador’s state oil company Petroecuador said on Thursday it had activated security protocols and evacuated its operational staff from a block in the Amazon after local people tried to take over its facilities.
“Petroecuador reports that it activated the security protocols, as part of the declaration of Force Majeure that currently governs these operations,” it said in a statement.
“The authorities of the state oil company ordered the immediate evacuation of the operating personnel to put them in safe custody,” he added. “In the block, the theft of cables and objects was also evidenced.”
The force majeure measures for two of the four blocks that were subject to the declaration, Blocks 61 and 43-ITT, were lifted at the end of March, while the measure is expected to be lifted on Block 12 after an agreement to finance studies of housing projects.
The March declaration means the country will have to reduce its production target to a maximum of 490,000 barrels per day (bpd), Energy Minister Fernando Santos said, from the previous 520,000 bpd.
Ecuador’s production was just over 464,000 bpd on Wednesday, according to official figures.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
