La Jornada: Ecuador increases its crude oil production with fracking

Quito. Ecuador will obtain 930 additional barrels of oil per day after applying for the first time the technique of fracking (hydraulic fracturing) in a new well located in the Amazon, official sources reported yesterday.

The discovery occurred in block 57 Shushufindi Libertador, in the province of Sucumbíos, where the state-owned company Petroecuador carried out the process with the support of the service company Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the operation constitutes a “milestone” in the country’s oil history by applying hydraulic fracturing in limestone level A, a subsoil area where this type of technical intervention is not common.

“This action allows the new well, which is in the full productive stage, to produce more than 930 barrels per day, consolidating itself as a relevant discovery in the current context,” the institution noted.

According to the statement, the progress was the result of planning aimed at the efficient use of resources, incorporation of technology and promotion of investments in the hydrocarbon sector.

For the authorities of the sector, the implementation of the fracking It expands productive horizons and encourages the participation of public and private actors in exploration and exploitation projects.

However, this technique raises questions in various sectors due to its environmental impacts, including risks of contamination of groundwater sources due to the use of chemicals, as well as high consumption of water resources in extraction processes.

They also point out the possibility of damage to sensitive ecosystems, the emission of polluting gases and possible microseisms associated with the injection of fluids into the subsoil.

Ecuador produces around 470 thousand barrels of oil per day, of which around 70 percent are destined for export, generating annual income of around 10 billion dollars, which depends on the price of crude oil.