Measures of force paralyze the North Peruvian Pipeline and fail to comply with regulations to prevent contagion of COVID-19

PETROPERU communicates to public opinion that various measures of force against our facilities in the North Peruvian Pipeline (ONP) keep its operation paralyzed and with it the oil industry in the northern jungle of the country. In addition, these protests are affecting the generation of canon income in the region and the country, and are carried out in breach of the basic protocols for the prevention of COVID-19, with serious risk to public health in the area.

Seizure of Station 5

As we timely reported, on September 28, ONP Station 5 was seized by approximately 200 residents of the Indigenous Peoples of Dátem del Marañón, Loreto, who had already threatened actions of force against the oil facilities due to the demand for support from the Government on issues related to closing gaps and health actions.

Although these actions are produced by demands to the different levels of the Government, PETROPERU, to safeguard the integrity of its workers, made the decision to evacuate all of its personnel.

Illegal access to Morona Station

With the same impunity, a group of protesters from the Chapra ethnic group has forced the contracted operator, a native of the area, who was staying at the Morona Station to cut off the electricity supply, threatening the security of said facility and affecting the the neighboring native community Fernando Rosas, to which, as part of social responsibility actions, electricity is provided.

Serious risk of contagion and fee at risk of disappearing

This serious situation against the ONP Stations, which affects social peace, has also been damaging all the actors in the region (communities, companies, government and the population in general).

In the case of the communities, because the aforementioned actions of force fail to comply with the prevention measures against COVID-19 since they are agglomerations of people stationed in industrial facilities, contravening all the essential security measures.

The private companies that operate the oil blocks in the Jungle are also affected, as there are no possibilities of carrying out the transport of hydrocarbons to the Coast through the ONP, due to the force measures that affect the continuity of their operations.

In the same way, it harms the State - that is, the population in general - since, by not being able to continue with the production of the oil companies, the royalty and royalty income that this activity generates is lost. In the same way, it affects PETROPERU, for keeping its facilities paralyzed.

Restart of activities in Station 1

At the weekend it was possible to reach agreements between the authorities and the Saramurillo community, with which the hydrocarbon discharge operations that had been interrupted by a group of protesters from the mentioned community at Station 1 could be restarted.

Finally, we reiterate our invocation to the groups of protesters who remain at Morona Station and Station 5 to cease their actions of force that harm their own health, and thus be able to continue with the efforts of a respectful dialogue to resolve the existing claims. Likewise, we invoke the corresponding instances to take the necessary actions to enforce the Law and the rule of law.

The primary purpose is to safeguard the well-being and health of the communities of the northern jungle and reactivate the hydrocarbon industry, which contributes with canon resources to the development of the Amazon and the country.