(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 27.May.2018) ‐- Thefts of elements from producing wells coupled with infrastructure sabotage at the Tibú field in the municipality by the same name in Northern Santander continue to harm the environment and neighboring communities.
To date in 2018, Colombia’s state oil company Ecopetrol has registered 428 offenses, of which 246 include illegal valve connections that have led to the loss of an estimated 30,447 barrels of petroleum, announced the company in a post on its website. This compares to 202 illegal connections detected in the same period in 2017.
In terms of the environment, an estimated 98 incidents have been reported in 2018, which affected more than 11,700 square meters of ground cover and 5,700 square meters of different bodies of water.
Ecopetrol announced that some 127 offenses related to the operation of 59 producing and injector wells have been detected, including thefts of equipment such as solar panels, pipes, transformers, cables, and electric systems, among other materials.
Besides the cost aspect, these actions continue to produce negative environmental impacts and/or increase the possibility of incidents that could result in injuries or loss of life to people in/and around the area, Ecopetrol concluded.
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