Latest news with #Petroecuador
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Ecuador declares emergency at fire-hit oil refinery
The fire has caused extensive damage at the massive plant in the northwestern Esmeraldas province. (AP pic) QUITO : Ecuador today declared an emergency at the country's main oil refinery, where a fuel tank fire halted operations earlier this week, the state oil company Petroecuador said. Petroecuador said the fire that erupted Monday had caused extensive damage at the massive plant in the northwestern Esmeraldas province, near the border with Colombia. Two fuel oil tanks and an electrical substation at the plant – which can refine 110,000 barrels per day into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and domestic gas – had been impaired. 'This forced the emergency shutdown of key units and auxiliary steam and power systems,' the plant operator said. No one was hurt in the blaze, and Petroecuador did not specify the amount of fuel that was in the tank when the fire broke out. But it cautioned that the fire erupted near two tanks that can store up to 2,544 cubic metres of fuel. To address the dangerous situation, the company said that the Esmeraldas Refinery had today 'declared an emergency operation to allow for urgent repairs and the restoration of operating conditions as quickly as possible'. The 60-day operation would facilitate the allocation of funds without bureaucratic procedures, it said. Ecuador is one of South America's top oil producers and is heavily reliant on its petroleum exports for revenue. Petroecuador did not specify how long the stocks at its distribution centres would last. Ecuador has two other refineries, with respective capacity for 45,000 and 20,000 barrels per day. The government said in a statement Monday that 'the supply of fuel is completely guaranteed throughout the country' despite the fire.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Petroecuador declares emergency at Ecuador's biggest refinery after fire damages
QUITO, May 29 (Reuters) - Ecuador's state oil producer, Petroecuador, on Thursday declared a 60-day emergency at the South American nation's largest oil refinery, its second emergency in just one month, after a fire this week caused damage to some fuel tanks. Petroecuador had at the end of April declared a separate 60-day emergency at the Esmeraldas refinery in northern Ecuador due to damages from a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the area.
Sharjah 24
6 days ago
- General
- Sharjah 24
Fire halts production at Ecuador's biggest oil refinery
Operations at the plant in Esmeraldas province, which can refine 110,000 barrels per day (bpd), were suspended "to safeguard the security of the facilities and personnel," state oil company Petroecuador said. It said no one was injured in the blaze, and five people received medical attention for minor effects of smoke inhalation. Workers were evacuated from the site that was cordoned off by soldiers and refinery staff, an AFP journalist observed. Ecuadoran police said it was evacuating residents of the area, without specifying how many. The cause of the fire at the refinery near Ecuador's border with Colombia was not yet known. Writing on X, Energy Minister Ines Manzano said the situation was "under control," but the assurance did little to quell the concerns of residents.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dark smoke rises from reported fire at Ecuador's largest oil refinery
STORY: ::'@joelmerov' via Instagram :: Eyewitness video shows smoke rising as a fire breaks out at Ecuador's largest oil refinery :: Esmeraldas, Ecuador :: May 26, 2025 :: State oil company Petroecuador says the fire is under control and all staff are safely evacuated The state oil company Petroecuador and the country's energy minister said the fire was under control, with the company adding that operations have halted as a precaution. All personnel at Petroecuador's Esmeraldas refinery were safely evacuated with no injuries reported, and investigations into the cause and infrastructure damage are under way, the company said. Reuters was able to independently verify the location by the road layout, trees, street poles and the bus terminal facade which matched file and satellite imagery. The date when the video was filmed was verified by the original file metadata.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Fire halts production at Ecuador's biggest oil refinery
ESMERALDAS: A fuel tank fire on Monday halted production at Ecuador's largest oil refinery, sparking the evacuation of nearby residents as a giant plume of smoke billowed from the facility. Operations at the plant in Esmeraldas province, which can refine 110,000 barrels per day (bpd), were suspended 'to safeguard the security of the facilities and personnel,' state oil company Petroecuador said. It said no one was injured in the blaze, and five people received medical attention for minor effects of smoke inhalation. Workers were evacuated from the site that was cordoned off by soldiers and refinery staff, an AFP journalist observed. Ecuadoran police said it was evacuating residents of the area, without specifying how many. The cause of the fire at the refinery near Ecuador's border with Colombia was not yet known. Writing on X, Energy Minister Ines Manzano said the situation was 'under control,' but the assurance did little to quell the concerns of residents. Ramiro Medina, a plant worker, said 'a loud noise' was heard, 'and we all started running.' 'What is happening now is quite worrying,' added community representative Edgar Romero. 'We smelled something and thought it was coming from the Jaime Hurtado school, which was being fumigated today.... (but then) we smelled gasoline... We hope that the authorities will take action.' Fuel supply 'guaranteed' Petroecuador, which operates the facility, did not specify the amount of fuel that was in the tank when the fire broke out. Ecuador is one of South America's top oil producers and is heavily reliant on its petroleum exports for revenue. In 2024, the country produced about 475,000 barrels of crude per day, of which it sold nearly three-quarters, earning $8.6 billion in oil exports. But production last year was disrupted by recurring power cuts linked to the worst drought in 60 years, which reduced the level of hydroelectric reservoirs to historic lows. In March this year, a massive fuel pipeline leak saw more than 25,000 barrels of crude spill into three rivers, in an incident that also forced a suspension of oil exports. Ecuador has two other refineries, with respective capacity for 45,000 and 20,000 barrels per day. The government said in a statement Monday that 'the supply of fuel is completely guaranteed throughout the country' despite the fire.
