Oleoducto Crudos Pesados (OCP Ecuador) and PetroTal Peru signed an agreement to transport oil from Peru via the Heavy Crude Oil Pipeline (OCP).
As part of the pilot project, OCP is expected to transport 100,000 bbl of oil over 3 months from Lot No. 95 Bretaña, Loreto, northeastern Peru.
In May of this year, Petroecuador said it would provide Block 16 infrastructure in Orellana province for the project. Based on the pilot project outcomes, discussions regarding transportation of larger volumes are planned, said Jorge Vugdelija, chief executive officer of OCP Ecuador.
The project sets a precedent in hydrocarbon cooperation between the two countries as it "opens opportunities for trade and regional integration," Vugdelija said. OCP Ecuador and PetroTal began negotiations for the pilot project in 2023.
The oil will be transported from Lot 95 via barges navigating three Amazon rivers. The crude will arrive in Puerto Pompeya Norte, eastern Ecuador, and will be transferred to trucks that will travel by land to the Amazonas Station in Lago Agrio (Sucumbíos province). The crude oil will then enter the OCP system towards the Maritime Terminal for export.
Camilo Ciruzzi | South America Correspondent
Ciruzzi is a journalist based in the Argentine province of Río Negro. He has over 30 years of experience in radio and print media. Ciruzzi studied Communication Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires and specialized in energy, political economy, and finance.