Ecuador secures oil facilities as govt declares state of emergency

Quantum Commodity Intelligence – Ecuador has stepped up security measures at domestic oil facilities after the president declared a state of emergency to tackle a wave of violence by criminal gangs, but output remains unaffected Wednesday.

The country's newly-elected President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day nationwide state of emergency on 9 January, granting the army and police powers to "neutralise" members of 22 domestic gangs it declared terrorists.

"After the declaration of a State of Emergency… EP Petroecuador reports that it has coordinated with the competent institutions to strengthen control in their facilities considered strategic for the country," the state-owned oil company said in a statement on Tuesday.

That includes refineries, oil fields, tankers, pipelines and clean products terminals, the company said, "in order to safeguard the integrity of its staff and its work that is carried out uninterrupted, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year."

"At the moment, EP Petroecuador's operations are carried out normally on a national scale."

Ecuador's state-owned oil company Petroecuador pumps around 400,000 bpd of crude per year and operates three refineries with a total processing capacity of 175,000 bpd.

It also operates the 300,000 bpd Sote pipeline, which pumps oil from Ecuador's Amazon Basin to Colombia's pacific port of Tumaco.

Gang violence has rocked the country after a powerful drug lord escaped from jail on 31 December, followed by multiple attacks across the country and the kidnapping of several police officers.

A television station in Guayaquil was stormed on Tuesday by masked gunmen live on air, but was quickly overran by authorities.

The 36-year old Noboa was elected in November after the centre-right presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated, promising to improve security and step up its fight against criminal gangs.