7 Oct 2004

Court Inspects a Major Spill by PetroEcuador at Shushufindi Southwest

ChevronTexaco Asks Judge to Protect Sites After Sabotage at Sacha-10

NUEVA LOJA, Ecuador, October 7, 2004 - The President of the Superior Court of Justice in Nueva Loja, Judge Efraín Novillo, visited the site where approximately eight years ago a major spill by PetroEcuador took place and affected a swamp near the Production Station Shushufindi Southwest. He also toured the production station, where in 1996, as part as the Plan of Environmental Remediation, Texaco Petroleum Company (Texpet) remediated seven areas of soil within the limits of the station, six of which had been contaminated under the operation of PetroEcuador, since July 1990. Additionally, in 1997, Texpet provided PetroEcuador with equipment for the re-injection of produced water for this station as part of the Plan of Environmental Remediation, according to the Ecuadorian Government in 1995. More than six years ago, all the produced water that enters the station is re-injected to ground.

The highlights:

  • In addition to visiting the site of the major spill by PetroEcuador in the swamp, Adolfo Callejas, ChevronTexaco´s lawyer, showed the President of the Court a list of recent spills by PetroEcuador that have taken place in and around Shushufindi Southwest Production Station. Callejas reminded the Court that PetroEcuador tends to minimize their spills.
Date Cause Damages caused
01/22/2000 Fissure in the internal pipeline of drainage of the pits Corrosion Contaminated a 370 square meters area.
02/27/2000 Rupture in the pipeline that sends oil from well Shushufindi-41 Vandalism Contaminated surface: 225 square meters. Damages to third persons; damage in the area of the well and the nearby swamp.
01/17/2001 Rupture of the flow pipeline of well Shushufindi-28 Vandalism Contaminated surface: 400 square meters. Damages in the area of the well and the surrounding areas
06/21/2001 Rupture of the flow pipeline of well Shushufindi-28 Vandalism Contaminated surface: unknown Damages in the area of the well and the surrounding areas.
10/31/2003 Damage to the drain pump Equipment failure Contaminated surface: 130 square meters. Contamination in the surrounding swamp.
  • Callejas stated to the Court that during the time Texaco operated the produced water was treated to remove petroleum before it was released to the environment. After washing, the produced water was treated in separation pits installed in series to remove residual petroleum, which was the standard international practice used in the petroleum industry at that time.
  • Callejas declared that the mineral content in the formation water in the operating areas of the former consortium do not constitute a risk for the environment in the zone, nor for the health of local inhabitants, because it did not contain any heavy metals in quantities higher than safe drinking water standards established by the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  • Once more, ChevronTexaco reminded the court that PetroEcuador should be held responsible for the presence of any remaining hydrocarbons and any alterations of the environmental conditions in the area of influence of the station encountered during the judicial inspection.

Update Regarding Sabotage at Sacha-10:

  • Prior to the judicial inspection, ChevronTexaco presented a petition to the court requesting Judge Efrain Novillo take action to protect inspection sites before, during, and after the inspections. At Sacha-10 unidentified persons sabotaged the site by oil or a similar substance. The judge took note of the request and promised to take all necessary and possible measures to protect the inspection sites.

Back to top