Chile,
Brazil petrol firms negotiating contract with Ecuador
XINHUA
CHINA
Petroleumworld.com
04 12 06
Petrol
companies from Chile, Brazil and Ecuador are negotiating on signing
a strategic alliance accord to develop an Ecuadorian petroleum project,
an official source said on Tuesday.
The
oil field Ispingo-Tambaococha-Tiputini (ITT), with proven reserves of
more than 900 million barrels, is Ecuador's most promising petroleum
project. A legal study is being conducted for signing a strategic alliance
agreement to push forward its development.
The
negotiating petroleum firms are Chile's ENAP, the Brazilian company
Petrobras and the Ecuadorian Petroecuador.
Ecuadorian
Energy Minister Ivan Rodriguez confirmed ENAP's and Petrobras' interest
in investing in Ecuador's petroleum sector, eyeing the ITT as an international
attraction as new petrol reserves are being searched for commercial
exploitation due to the upturn in market prices.
Multinational
oil companies from France, the United States and Asia had also arrived
at the Petroecuador administration council to seek information on the
project and analyze whether it represents an economic opportunity.
Rodriguez
said no public bidding process was considered. Instead, he said, there
would be a direct negotiation with interested operators.
The
ITT, which has been under discussion since 2001, represents 23 percent
of Ecuador's total petrol reserves.
Xinhua 04 12 2006
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