The rupturing of three oil pipelines after a landslide in eastern Ecuador has caused pollution of a sub-tributary of the Amazon, state oil company Petroecuador reported on Wednesday. The damage occurred Tuesday evening at the border between the provinces of Napo and Sucumbios. They " caused an oil spill in the Coca ", which flows into the Napo, a tributary of the Amazon.
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It was a landslide that damaged these tubes carrying crude oil and fuels, Petroecuador said in a statement. The Transequatorian Pipeline System (SOTE), managed by OCP Ecuador, and the Shushufindi-Quito pipeline were affected by the landslide.
Oil, the country's main export product
The damage resulted in the temporary cessation of oil distribution, but the authorities assured that production and exports were continuing normally. Oil is Ecuador's main export, with $ 7.731 billion in 2019.
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Without specifying the volume of crude oil and fuel spilled into the river, the public oil company said it had placed barriers to prevent pollution of drinking water sources in the city of El Coca. As a precaution, the water distribution service has been suspended and the companies concerned are working to allow another aqueduct to replenish the population.
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