A project for the construction of the OCP (Oleoducto de crudos pesados or heavy crude oil pipeline) was submitted in 2000 to the Ministry of Energy and Mining, and envisaged a pipeline that cut across Ecuador lengthwise for 503 km (312 miles), crossing the Amazon jungle, the Andes, numerous natural reserves and ending on the Pacific coast. An alternative trail of the pipeline, parallel to the already existing SOTE pipeline was proposed but denied by the OCP Ldt. Consortium. Since the pipeline's capacities are underused for Ecuatorian crude oil, Colombia started to use it in 2013 for the exportation of its own crude oil from the port Esmeraldas. In order to make this possible it was necessary to connect Lago Agrio station (connected to the Colombian grid) and the OCP station Amazonas [1]. Such infrastructure costed more than US$8 million. |
In spite of the locals' strong opposition and a global campaigning, the OCP is operating since 2003, causing numerous oil spills along its way
| Name of conflict: | OCP-Heavy Crude Oil Pipeline, Ecuador |
| Country: | Ecuador |
| State or province: | Pichincha, Sucumbios, Napo, Esmeraldas Regions |
| Location of conflict: | Lago Agrio, Esmeraldas and Calderon (Quito) |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Fossil Fuels and Climate Justice/Energy |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Oil and gas exploration and extraction Transport infrastructure networks (roads, railways, hydroways, canals and pipelines) Pollution related to transport (spills, dust, emissions) |
| Specific commodities: | Crude oil |
| Project details | The project cut through Ecuador from an altitude of 300 meters in the Amazon to over 4,000 meters through the Andean ridge and down to sea level. The pipeline traverses seven national parks and protected areas [1] and is 506 km long. |
| Project area: | 50300 |
| Level of Investment for the conflictive project | 1,400,000,000.00 |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Start of the conflict: | 10/2010 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (Eni) from Italy OCP Ecuador Ldt. from Ecuador - http://ocpecuador.com/ Alberta Energy from Canada Techint - Saneamiento y Urbanización S.A. (SYUSA) from Italy - http://www.techint.com/ Agip Group from Italy Perez Companc from Argentina William Corporation - the company dropped its bid for an alternate pipeline in 2000 Occidental Petroleum (OXY) from United States of America - www.oxy.com Kerr-McGee Corp. from United States of America FLOPEC from Ecuador Repsol YPF from Spain Pecom Energia from Argentina EnCana Corp from Canada |
| Relevant government actors: | Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Ministry of the Environment, Secretaría Nacional de Hidrocarburos del Ecuador |
| International and Finance Institutions | Westdeutsche Landesbank (WestLB) from Germany Chase Manhattan Bank from United States of America BNL from Italy Citybank IMF Italian Banca Nazionale del Lavoro from Italy |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Accion Ecolgica - Ecuador, CONAIE - Ecuador, Greenpeace, Accion por la Vida - Ecuador, Sindicato Petroecuador de Ingenieros y Profesionales - Ecuador, Community of Lago Agrio - Ecuador, Community of Esmeraldas - Ecuador, Communities of Guarumos, Puerto Quito, San Miguel de Los Bancos, Nono, Gonzal Pizarro - Ecuador, The Least Impact Route Committee - Ecuador, National Network of those Affected by the OCP Construction - Ecuador, Farmers Association of the Communities of Pichincha, Napo ed Esmeraldas - Ecuador, A Sud - Italy, Friends of Earth - USA, Amazon Watch - USA, Rete Lilliput, Ya Basta - Italy, Terra Nuova - Italy, Il Manifesto - Italy, Carta - Italy, Green Party - Italy, Oilwatch - Nigeria |
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Reaction stage | PREVENTIVE resistance (precautionary phase) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Indigenous groups or traditional communities Industrial workers International ejos Local ejos Social movements |
| Forms of mobilization: | Blockades Boycotts of official procedures/non-participation in official processes Involvement of national and international NGOs Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Objections to the EIA Public campaigns Sabotage Street protest/marches Appeals/recourse to economic valuation of the environment |
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Fires, Soil contamination, Oil spills, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover Potential: Air pollution, Desertification/Drought, Food insecurity (crop damage), Global warming, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion |
| Health Impacts | Visible: Violence related health impacts (homicides, rape, etc..) Potential: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Occupational disease and accidents, Infectious diseases, Other environmental related diseases |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Displacement, Lack of work security, labour absenteeism, firings, unemployment, Violations of human rights, Land dispossession Potential: Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures |
| Project Status | In operation |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Corruption Criminalization of activists Migration/displacement Repression |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | To stop the operations of the pipeline considering the harm caused to the society and the environment. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
| Briefly explain: | In spite of all the national and international movement made against this installation, this one still went on and is actually operating damaging the evironment and causing social and environmental injustice. |
| Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc) |
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| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
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| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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| Contributor: | Lucie Greyl |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
| Conflict ID: | 503 |