Ecuador lifts oil force majeure as crisis eases

Ecuador lifted force majeure on its oil sector after its two main crude pipelines resumed operations.

Another flare-up in riverbed erosion in Napo province led to the December shutdowns of state-owned PetroEcuador's 360,000 b/d SOTE pipeline and the 450,000 b/d OCP line owned by a consortium of other producers. The government declared force majeure on 12 December to facilitate the reprogramming of exports.

Ecuador's crude production recovered to around 412,000 b/d on 4 January, up from a December average of just 207,000 b/d but still shy of a January-November average of 470,000 b/d, according to energy regulator ARC.

By Alberto Araujo