QUITO -(Dow Jones)- Ecuadorian state-owned oil company Petroamazonas S.A. plans to develop four oil blocks this year, General Manager Wilson Pastor said Monday.
In an interview, Pastor said Petroamazonas' target is to drill around 14 wells in Panacocha field, which is expected to produce up to 25,000 barrels per day.
Production is expected to begin there with an initial production of 5,000 barrels a day starting in the second quarter of next year.
The company also plans to drill 13 wells in Panayacu-Quinde oil area for a maximum output of 10,000 barrels per day. In Paka Sur, Petroamazonas plans to drill four wells to start production of around 3,000 barrels per day later this year.
Petroamazonas, which is majority-owned by state oil company Petroecuador, is looking for financing from multilateral lenders and foreign countries to develop block 31, but Pastor didn't give details.
"We are in talks to get financing. If we obtain financing this block will be developed this year. We plan to drill around 14 wells," Pastor said.
Last year, the Ecuadorian government and Brazil's state-run oil firm, Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PBR), or Petrobras, agreed to finish the contract for block 31, which was transferred to the state.
Block 31 has 200,000 hectares, some of this within the Yasuni National Park, which Unesco has declared a world biosphere reserve.
Petrobras has not yet started production in block 31.
Petroamazonas' oil output rose 8% last year to 94,943 barrels per day.
For 2009, Petroamazonas plans to increase oil output to 100,567 barrels per day. The company's budget this year will total $604.7 million, of which $359 million will go to investment and the remaining $245.74 million to operating costs.
Petroamazonas is a Petroecuador unit that operates the former Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) fields.
The government seized Block 15, the Eden-Yuturi and the Limoncocha fields in May 2006, alleging that Occidental had broken the terms of its operating contract.
Petroecuador holds 80% of Petroamazonas, while Petroecuador subsidiary Petroproduccion holds 20%.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tales from the Amazon
Written by Professor Douglas Zook
I just returned from another excursion to the remote tropical rainforest of the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in eastern Ecuador. I was heading a group of eight science educators –– those who directly train students to become science teachers –– from different universities in the nation. I was awestruck once again by the beauty, the ecological stories and mysteries, the astounding richness of life there. But I also returned more concerned than ever.
This remote region of the northwest Amazon is one of the most profound biological treasures of the earth, featuring an astounding variety of plants, fungi and animals. More than 10 species of monkeys pass through the 1,500-acre sanctuary. Nearly three dozen palm species in the region are known with many other plants yet unidentified. The numbers of frogs and other amphibians exceeds most any other place on earth. The Tiputini River is speculated to have more than 2,000 species of fish. And ongoing images from the National Geographic Society-supported “camera trap project” at Tiputini show that eight individual jaguars pass through the area regularly. This haven for life in all its grandeur is in part due to Tiputini’s proximity to the Yasuni National Park, which at 9,820 square kilometers is roughly equal to the size of Vermont. Directly across the river, this vast region of over one million acres features no roads and little or no villages. Indeed, just to get to Tiputini can take several hours by motorized canoe.
The threat to this region and its array of crucial ecosystems is mainly the encroaching petroleum companies. With oil now discovered below Yasuni, several petroleum operations seek to expand and drill in this wilderness. Already the noise of the oil pumping about 12 kilometers from Tiputini can be heard, eerily mixing in with the whooping calls of frogs, the chattering of cicadas and the lion-like roars of the howler monkeys. With oil exploration come not only the potential of spills and damaging river boat traffic but significant removal of forest land, creating fragmented habitats. Stored underground methane must be burnt off, often resulting in a 24/7 flame in the forest that kills uncountable numbers of insects so critical to food webs and pollination. A bitter irony is that the number of barrels of petroleum extracted from the region over a year would still only meet United States’ energy needs for less than a week.
Nevertheless, why be so concerned here about distant rainforests? Without the diverse transpiring plants releasing water continuously near the equator, low pressure systems far to the north and south will not have the moisture we all depend upon for crops, drinking water and local ecologies. The rainforest helps counter climate change by acting as a significant carbon sink, using carbon from the atmosphere in photosynthesis. It further serves as a vast gene bank, where original genes of plant lineages –– many of which feed the world –– reside. With the mismanagement of plant crops and climate alterations, we cannot afford to eliminate these original genomes. Medicinal plants, well-known by the indigenous Waorani peoples, abound in Yasuni area; the cures of many ailments remain undiscovered, yet they are being wiped out with rainforest encroachment.
The Tiputini Biodiversity Station has particularly strong connections to Boston University. Operated by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, BU was a supportive collaborator from the start largely due to the efforts of BU biology professor and world-renowned bat expert Tom Kunz. Over the years, scores of students have been and continue to be greatly inspired by intensive study at the station as part of their BU degree programs.
Through BU’s Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology center coordinator Freya Hendrickson and I –– with the vision and support of sedGreen and the International Symbiosis Society –– have initiated Tiputini Support Group. This effort raises funds and energy from students, faculty, Tiputini alumni and concerned citizens everywhere to help strengthen the station. For example, funds can help develop low-tech alternative energy at the station, such that it is less dependent on petroleum in its operation, while fostering other projects.
While it is unrealistic to put a quick halt to petroleum operations in the Yasuni-Tiputini region, strengthening the Tiputini Biodiversity Station through the Tiputini Support Group, continued visitations of the station by researchers and students and actively spreading the word about the region and its threatened situation are critically important to build leverage in future interactions with the petroleum companies and Ecuadoran officials.
Source: The Daily Free Press (Boston University Student Newspaper)
I just returned from another excursion to the remote tropical rainforest of the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in eastern Ecuador. I was heading a group of eight science educators –– those who directly train students to become science teachers –– from different universities in the nation. I was awestruck once again by the beauty, the ecological stories and mysteries, the astounding richness of life there. But I also returned more concerned than ever.
This remote region of the northwest Amazon is one of the most profound biological treasures of the earth, featuring an astounding variety of plants, fungi and animals. More than 10 species of monkeys pass through the 1,500-acre sanctuary. Nearly three dozen palm species in the region are known with many other plants yet unidentified. The numbers of frogs and other amphibians exceeds most any other place on earth. The Tiputini River is speculated to have more than 2,000 species of fish. And ongoing images from the National Geographic Society-supported “camera trap project” at Tiputini show that eight individual jaguars pass through the area regularly. This haven for life in all its grandeur is in part due to Tiputini’s proximity to the Yasuni National Park, which at 9,820 square kilometers is roughly equal to the size of Vermont. Directly across the river, this vast region of over one million acres features no roads and little or no villages. Indeed, just to get to Tiputini can take several hours by motorized canoe.
The threat to this region and its array of crucial ecosystems is mainly the encroaching petroleum companies. With oil now discovered below Yasuni, several petroleum operations seek to expand and drill in this wilderness. Already the noise of the oil pumping about 12 kilometers from Tiputini can be heard, eerily mixing in with the whooping calls of frogs, the chattering of cicadas and the lion-like roars of the howler monkeys. With oil exploration come not only the potential of spills and damaging river boat traffic but significant removal of forest land, creating fragmented habitats. Stored underground methane must be burnt off, often resulting in a 24/7 flame in the forest that kills uncountable numbers of insects so critical to food webs and pollination. A bitter irony is that the number of barrels of petroleum extracted from the region over a year would still only meet United States’ energy needs for less than a week.
Nevertheless, why be so concerned here about distant rainforests? Without the diverse transpiring plants releasing water continuously near the equator, low pressure systems far to the north and south will not have the moisture we all depend upon for crops, drinking water and local ecologies. The rainforest helps counter climate change by acting as a significant carbon sink, using carbon from the atmosphere in photosynthesis. It further serves as a vast gene bank, where original genes of plant lineages –– many of which feed the world –– reside. With the mismanagement of plant crops and climate alterations, we cannot afford to eliminate these original genomes. Medicinal plants, well-known by the indigenous Waorani peoples, abound in Yasuni area; the cures of many ailments remain undiscovered, yet they are being wiped out with rainforest encroachment.
The Tiputini Biodiversity Station has particularly strong connections to Boston University. Operated by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, BU was a supportive collaborator from the start largely due to the efforts of BU biology professor and world-renowned bat expert Tom Kunz. Over the years, scores of students have been and continue to be greatly inspired by intensive study at the station as part of their BU degree programs.
Through BU’s Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology center coordinator Freya Hendrickson and I –– with the vision and support of sedGreen and the International Symbiosis Society –– have initiated Tiputini Support Group. This effort raises funds and energy from students, faculty, Tiputini alumni and concerned citizens everywhere to help strengthen the station. For example, funds can help develop low-tech alternative energy at the station, such that it is less dependent on petroleum in its operation, while fostering other projects.
While it is unrealistic to put a quick halt to petroleum operations in the Yasuni-Tiputini region, strengthening the Tiputini Biodiversity Station through the Tiputini Support Group, continued visitations of the station by researchers and students and actively spreading the word about the region and its threatened situation are critically important to build leverage in future interactions with the petroleum companies and Ecuadoran officials.
Source: The Daily Free Press (Boston University Student Newspaper)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Yasuni Jaguars
January 28, 2009--A jaguar triggers a camera trap in an picture released January 27 as part of the first comprehensive survey of jaguar populations in the Ecuadorian Amazon rain forest. The same camera captured an extremely rare short-eared dog and pig-like wild white-lipped peccaries, among other animals.
See the full article at National Geographic
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
No Buyers for "Leaving Oil in the Ground" at Yasuni
Mining and Oil Minister Derlis Palacios said Friday that the government is preparing a tender for Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini oil field.
The government has not obtained any concrete proposal to keep the oil in the ground. Palacios didn't specify when the tender will call.
In 2007 Ecuador asked the international community to respond to a call for compensation if Ecuador chooses not to drill on the site, which is part of the Yasuni National Park, the country's largest natural reserve. Ecuador's 9,000 square kilometer Yasuni national park is considered one of the world's most biodiverse regions.
Originally an auction was scheduled for October, but the government decided to postpone the auction until January awaiting a response from the international community to make a concrete contribution.
The government of President Rafael Correa said in 2007 that it would seek $350 million a year in donations or debt pardons in exchange for keeping the nature preserve untouched. This amount would roughly equal the foregone profits from oil drilling in the area.
Various oil companies, according the government, had expressed interest in the ITT oil project, including firms from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Peru, as well as French oil company Total SA (TOT).
The ITT has estimated reserves of 1.0 billion barrels of heavy crude oil and needs around $3 billion in initial investment for its developing.
The government has not obtained any concrete proposal to keep the oil in the ground. Palacios didn't specify when the tender will call.
In 2007 Ecuador asked the international community to respond to a call for compensation if Ecuador chooses not to drill on the site, which is part of the Yasuni National Park, the country's largest natural reserve. Ecuador's 9,000 square kilometer Yasuni national park is considered one of the world's most biodiverse regions.
Originally an auction was scheduled for October, but the government decided to postpone the auction until January awaiting a response from the international community to make a concrete contribution.
The government of President Rafael Correa said in 2007 that it would seek $350 million a year in donations or debt pardons in exchange for keeping the nature preserve untouched. This amount would roughly equal the foregone profits from oil drilling in the area.
Various oil companies, according the government, had expressed interest in the ITT oil project, including firms from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Peru, as well as French oil company Total SA (TOT).
The ITT has estimated reserves of 1.0 billion barrels of heavy crude oil and needs around $3 billion in initial investment for its developing.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Stuff You Will Need
Here is a checklist of some of the stuff you will need.
Good binoculars, preferably lightweight (8 x 42 or 6 x 35 recommended). This is one of the most important items you will need to see primates, birds, etc. I would recommend Bushnell H2O 8 x 42.. These waterproof binoculars run about $90, but you might be able to find a pair for less. We will talk more about binoculars and binocular selection during the fall, but the bottom line is this: you want to have binoculars that are both good and appropriate. With this 8 x 42 and 6x 35 stuff--if you take divide the large number by the small number and get a result less than 5.0, they are not appropriate. During my first trip to the tropics, I had a cheap pair of 8 x 42 binoculars and I regretted it. I should have spent an extra $70 and gotten a great pair.
Field notebook (we recommend waterproof notebooks, available from Forestry Suppliers
Lecture notebook and pens/pencils
Compass
Raincoat or poncho (you WILL get rained on!)
Hat or cap
Water treatment pills (potable aqua)
Shoes suitable for trail hiking
Rubber boots (mid-calf to knee high) for hiking in rainforest
Small, personal first-aid kit (Band-Aids, antacid/anti-diarrhea, antibiotic ointment,
rehydration formula, insect bite relief)
Water bottles (1 liter)
Insect repellent (25% DEET is sufficient, Ultrathon is recommended). Purchase the cream, not the aerosol. Mosquitoes are usually not bad, but they do carry life-threatening diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
2 flashlights (one headlamp and one hand-held flashlight)
Spare batteries
Signal whistle
Daypack or fanny pack (big enough for carrying water, field notebook, camera, raingear)
2 large trash bags for keeping luggage dry in the dugout canoe
2-3 lightweight, long pants for field work and wearing at night (cotton is best)
2 lightweight long-sleeved shirts to prevent insect bites
Warm clothing for Quito (temperatures can reach freezing at night)
A set of nice clothes to wear in Quito (appropriate attire is expected in city restaurants/shops)
T-shirts and shorts
Extra socks
Swimming suit (men should bring briefs or trunks with close-fitting liner)
Towel
Sunscreen (SPF 30 or stronger)
Sunglasses
Camera and memory cards (or film, if you are old-school)
Pocket knife
Wristwatch
Calculator
Alarm clock
Ziplock bags (for protecting binoculars, cameras, snacks, etc.)
Spare prescription glasses or contacts, if you wear them
Motion sickness medication (e.g., “Less Drowsy Dramamine,” for bus and plane travel)
Biodegradable, multipurpose soap
This list probably does not include every last item you will need, but it is a good start.
Good binoculars, preferably lightweight (8 x 42 or 6 x 35 recommended). This is one of the most important items you will need to see primates, birds, etc. I would recommend Bushnell H2O 8 x 42.. These waterproof binoculars run about $90, but you might be able to find a pair for less. We will talk more about binoculars and binocular selection during the fall, but the bottom line is this: you want to have binoculars that are both good and appropriate. With this 8 x 42 and 6x 35 stuff--if you take divide the large number by the small number and get a result less than 5.0, they are not appropriate. During my first trip to the tropics, I had a cheap pair of 8 x 42 binoculars and I regretted it. I should have spent an extra $70 and gotten a great pair.
Field notebook (we recommend waterproof notebooks, available from Forestry Suppliers
Lecture notebook and pens/pencils
Compass
Raincoat or poncho (you WILL get rained on!)
Hat or cap
Water treatment pills (potable aqua)
Shoes suitable for trail hiking
Rubber boots (mid-calf to knee high) for hiking in rainforest
Small, personal first-aid kit (Band-Aids, antacid/anti-diarrhea, antibiotic ointment,
rehydration formula, insect bite relief)
Water bottles (1 liter)
Insect repellent (25% DEET is sufficient, Ultrathon is recommended). Purchase the cream, not the aerosol. Mosquitoes are usually not bad, but they do carry life-threatening diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
2 flashlights (one headlamp and one hand-held flashlight)
Spare batteries
Signal whistle
Daypack or fanny pack (big enough for carrying water, field notebook, camera, raingear)
2 large trash bags for keeping luggage dry in the dugout canoe
2-3 lightweight, long pants for field work and wearing at night (cotton is best)
2 lightweight long-sleeved shirts to prevent insect bites
Warm clothing for Quito (temperatures can reach freezing at night)
A set of nice clothes to wear in Quito (appropriate attire is expected in city restaurants/shops)
T-shirts and shorts
Extra socks
Swimming suit (men should bring briefs or trunks with close-fitting liner)
Towel
Sunscreen (SPF 30 or stronger)
Sunglasses
Camera and memory cards (or film, if you are old-school)
Pocket knife
Wristwatch
Calculator
Alarm clock
Ziplock bags (for protecting binoculars, cameras, snacks, etc.)
Spare prescription glasses or contacts, if you wear them
Motion sickness medication (e.g., “Less Drowsy Dramamine,” for bus and plane travel)
Biodegradable, multipurpose soap
This list probably does not include every last item you will need, but it is a good start.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Where in the World...?
Where exactly is the Tiputini Biodiversity Station?
For those of you who use Google Earth, you can find it at the following coordinates:
Latitude 0°38'15.84"S
Longitude 76° 9'0.88"W
The satellite image has recently been updated so it appears in high resolution. You can actually see some of the buildings in the forest, and two canoes along the shoreline.
For those of you who use Google Earth, you can find it at the following coordinates:
Latitude 0°38'15.84"S
Longitude 76° 9'0.88"W
The satellite image has recently been updated so it appears in high resolution. You can actually see some of the buildings in the forest, and two canoes along the shoreline.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
It is On!
From our colleagues at Tiputini:
Si tengo espacio para la fecha que solicitas, este momento hago la reserva de Diciembre 1 a Diciembre 12/2008 para 14 personas. Lo único que necesitare es me envíen máximo hasta el 5 de Noviembre las copias de pasaporte y fiebre amarilla de cada persona que ingresara a TBS.
Translation: our reservations are set at Tiputini from December 1-12. Moreover, we will need to send copies of our passports and yellow fever vaccination certificates to the Tiputini staff by November 5. If you do not have a passport and have not yet applied, you will want to drop everything you are doing and get it now!
Si tengo espacio para la fecha que solicitas, este momento hago la reserva de Diciembre 1 a Diciembre 12/2008 para 14 personas. Lo único que necesitare es me envíen máximo hasta el 5 de Noviembre las copias de pasaporte y fiebre amarilla de cada persona que ingresara a TBS.
Translation: our reservations are set at Tiputini from December 1-12. Moreover, we will need to send copies of our passports and yellow fever vaccination certificates to the Tiputini staff by November 5. If you do not have a passport and have not yet applied, you will want to drop everything you are doing and get it now!
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