New procurement delay for overhaul of Ecuador fuel pipeline

Ecuador’s state oil company Petroecuador has declared void a second call for bids to complete studies to overhaul the 164km Esmeraldas-Santo Domingo fuel pipeline.

The offer presented by the sole participant - Consorcio SRM formed by Hector Patricio Sánchez Acosta and Cesar Antonio Rivera Armijos - did not fulfill tender guidelines, procurement information shows.

Information of whether a new process will be launched for the five-month contract was not disclosed.

The revamp envisions the installation of new piping and facilities along the duct which transports gasolines, diesel, and jet fuel, and suffers from corrosion. The duct’s pumping capacity and maximum flow is 60,504b/d and 2,521b/hour, respectively.

Esmeraldas-Santo Domingo was Ecuador’s principal fuel pipeline in the first seven months of 2022, moving nearly 15Mb (million barrels), up 5.7% from January-July 2021. Of the 15Mb, gasoline represented 45.7%, diesel 45.5% and aviation fuel the balance.

Transport along the country’s fuel pipelines in the period rose 6.9% to 53.8Mb.