Ecuador Oil Spill: 1,200 Barrels Spilled on Country's Northern Coast, Petroecuador Confirms

Authorities in Ecuador have officially verified the occurrence of an oil spill that released approximately 1,200 barrels of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, contaminating several kilometers of oceanfront, per Al Jazeera.

Rafael Armendariz, the transportation manager representing the state-owned oil company, Petroecuador, confirmed the incident during a press conference.

The spill originated from a tank at the marine terminal in the port of Esmeraldas, where it surpassed its maximum capacity, releasing crude oil.

Armendariz provided further details, stating that an estimated 1,200 barrels of oil were spilled during the incident.

However, not all the oil reached the beach as some of it was contained within Petroecuador's facilities.

Despite the containment efforts, approximately half of the spilled crude oil managed to escape the confines of the Petroecuador facilities and spread across an area of about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) of Las Palmas Beach.

This beach is popular among tourists and locals, serving as a favored destination for recreation and leisure activities.

Petroecuador Takes Full Responsibility for the Ecuador Oil Spill

The environmental consequences of the oil spill are causing legitimate concern among Ecuadorian authorities.

Ecuador's Environmental Minister Jose Davalos has expressed apprehension over the potential impact on wildlife, particularly birds and crustaceans.

A comprehensive assessment conducted by Petroecuador will be instrumental in determining the extent of the damage. It will play a crucial role in deciding appropriate penalties for the incident.

Efforts to clean up the affected areas are already underway, with authorities estimating that the cleanup process will take approximately one week to complete, according to Energy Portal.

Given the spill's severity, the impacted region will require extensive cleaning and restoration measures to mitigate the environmental damage effectively.

Petroecuador, the state-owned oil company responsible for the spill, has taken full accountability for the incident.

The company has been working diligently to control the impact on land and the sea. As per official reports, they have managed to contain 90% of the impact on land and 60% of the advancement of the oil stain in the sea through the recovery of contaminated material.

Esmeraldas, where the oil spill occurred, is approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of Ecuador's northern border with Colombia.

Being a state-owned entity, Petroecuador fully engages in the containment and cleanup efforts in the affected areas.

Human Error Causes Ecuador Oil Spill, Environment Director Says

A recent military helicopter survey of the impacted area revealed distressing scenes, with blackened waves spreading along the shoreline and depositing a viscous substance on the beach, as captured in a video posted on Twitter.

Alex Benalcazar, Esmeraldas' local environment director, addressed the incident during a press conference, stating that preliminary information suggests human error as the cause of the Ecuador oil spill, Reuters noted.

He confirmed that the spill adversely affected a section of Las Palmas beach in the city.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Petroecuador, in an official statement, assured that its export and fuel supply operations remained unaffected by the spill.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Oil Spill Pollutes Ecuador Beach - From Voice of America