A black tide on earth. Oil spilling from a damaged pipeline since Friday in the Ecuadorian Amazon has hit a protected natural area and a river. “The affected area is located in the Cayambe-Coca National Park and, according to zoning, the oil spill took place in the protection zone“said the Ministry of the Environment. One more drama related to a pipeline leak.
About 21,000 m2 of the Cayambe-Coca reserve were affected by the oil leak. The crude also flowed into the Coca, a major river in the Amazon that flows into a river, the Napo, the ministry said. This river and river provide water to many communities, including indigenous peoples.
Hot springs and 400 species of birds
Covering an area of more than 4,000 km2, Cayambe-Coca National Park straddles four provinces, in an area of mountains and rainforests in the Amazon basin, at between 600 and 5,790 meters above sea level. altitude.
It takes its name from Cayambe, a volcano, and Coca, which crosses its territory. About a hundred species of mammals are listed there (tapirs, cougars, bears, condors, etc.) and nearly 400 species of birds.
The region is home to “the sources of several rivers such as those of Due, Chingual, Cofanes and Cebeno which feed Aguarico”explains the website of this park, where there are also hot springs at altitude.
A landslide after heavy rain
Heavy rains caused landslides and rockfalls at the end of the week, leading to the rupture of a crude oil transport pipeline in the Piedra Fina area. The incident took place on Friday on the border between the provinces of Napo and Sucumbios, on this 485 kilometer long pipeline which crosses a total of four provinces and is managed by the private company OCP (Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados).
To date, neither the government nor the OCP have specified the quantity of oil which was thus spilled into nature. According to the government, the landslide affected “four infrastructure pipes”which can transport 160,000 barrels of crude per day from oil wells in the middle of the jungle.
OCP “assumes responsibility for this event, caused by a case of force majeure”said its executive chairman, Jorge Vugdelija.