Full Production at Ecuador's Shushufindi Refinery Resumes after National Pipeline Rupture

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Researched by Industrial Information Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Normal operation resumed on March 4, 2008, on a portion of piping on Ecuador's SOTE national oil pipeline after a rupture last week that reduced processing capacity of Petroecuador's Shushufindi refinery to 70%. Production at the Esmeraldas and La Libertad refineries was not affected.

According to the state-owned oil company, 4,000 barrels of Oriente crude were spilled during the rupture, which was caused by a landslide. Crude oil was stored at the 1 million-barrel Balao export terminal until repairs were finished. As of March 4, 2008, normal production resumed at the Shushufindi refinery.

Ecuador is the fifth-largest oil producer in South America with a 532,000-barrel-per-day (BPD) production capacity of oil. Petroecuador owns three refineries: 43,000 BPD La Libertad; 110,000 BPD Esmeraldas refinery and 110,000 BPD Shushufindi. The latter is composed of Amazonas 1 and 2 and a gas plant.

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