ECU115
ECUADOR / Sucumbios / Lago Agrio

A derrick in the Upper Amazon run by the Ecuadorian stateowned Petrocommercial. The companies that extract oil in Ecuador often sign agreements with local officials that exclude them from any responsibilty for the environment. Texaco have managed to delay court action in the US for environmental damage in Ecuador. 8 years has passed and a date for the hearing has still not been set.

Ecuador coincidently left the OPEC oil trade association whilst negotiating IMF and WORLDBANK loans. Ecuador now sells oil for less than the OPEC market rate. The country receives just 15 cents on an aproximate $18 per barrel. Little compensation for the environmental disaster that oil production has caused. Multinationals like Alberta Energy (Canada) Occidental (USA) Repsol (Spain) Elf (France) reap vast profits as deals are cut with corrupt politicians and officials.

© Clive Shirley

ECU0101
ECUADOR / Sucumbios / Lago Agrio

Construction of the pipeline is delayed by protest and the pipe is capped.
The OCP (Oleoductos de Crudos Pesados) heavy crude pipeline through the Amazon rainforest to the Pacific Ocean. Capacity 400,000 barrels per day.
At 1.1 billion dollars the investors (Alberta Energy-Canada and Occidental- USA know that they must increase production by 300% moving deeper into the Amazon and indigenous lands.
The OCP will run mostly along the route of the first pipeline the Sote (capacity 300,000 bpd) was completed in 1972 by Texaco and reverted to state ownership in 1992. There have been over 60 accidents resulting in 18.895 million gallons of crude spilling into the environment, much of which is in the Upper Amazon and effects the entire Amazon basin.
© Clive Shirley

Crude oil lies in black pools throughou the Upper Amazon. The international companies that extract oil in Ecuador often sign agreements with local officials that exclude them from any responsibilty for the environment.

After the oil has gone. What remains?

A clearing in the rainforest becomes a dumping ground for obsolete oil industry garbage.

Encana Energy (Canada) territory near Terapoa.