Previous Story
The mantenses prepared for the refinery that has not yet arrived
Posted On 17 Jan 2018
Ecuadornews:
The announcement of the new plant encouraged the population to invest in real estate projects. Now they do not know the future of the work. Only the aqueduct La Esperanza El Aromo shows results. A decade has passed since former President Rafael Correa announced the construction of the Pacific Refinery (RDP) as his government’s flagship project.
It was expected that there will be produced 300,000 barrels of oil per day to meet the domestic demand for fuel and reduce the import of derivatives. Initially it was said that it would be ready in 2017.
However, until now, the construction of the work has not been completed. It is expected that at the end of January, eight or nine investors will visit the country who would be willing to bet on the work. In Manabí the project of the RDP provoked a wide expectation from its beginnings. Narcisa Coello, leader of the Los Sauces committee in San Mateo parish, still hopes that the project will be completed.
She recalled that at the beginning several of the community members were hired in different activities while the earthwork was being carried out in El Aromo. She affirmed that young people chose to prepare for welding, painting and other jobs, in order to secure a position in the construction process of the petrochemical complex. “We are waiting for answers, we do not know what will happen.”
The mayor of Manta, Jorge Zambrano, said that the expectation with which the project was born “at times vanishes. We do not know what will happen to the work. Until the current government gave deadlines for the realization of offers, “he said. In addition, the community of Manta was prepared to assume the possible challenge of receiving the boom of people who would come to work in the assembly of the plant, there were young people who even left the country to train in oil with the projection after working in the RDP.
The Manabi builder Gonzalo Escobar said that people invested in the construction of buildings, developments, office buildings and others with the projection that more than 20,000 people arrive in the port city during construction. Although the signature of an investor has not been finalized to date, the projects that were executed in Manta were sold. For example, one of them is the Mall of the Pacific whose name is combined with that of the refinery. The departments were also sold, especially to people from Quito. “The canton has supported itself as a city of services,” Escobar said.
The positive: the aqueduct La Esperanza El Aromo
The mayor of Manta, Jorge Zambrano, highlighted as a positive point the construction of the aqueduct through which raw water is transported from the La Esperanza dam, located in the upper area of Bolívar canton, in the northeast of Manabí. 30,000 cubic meters of water flow through the 94-km pipe.
For Manta and Montecristi 6,000 m3 are destined and to Jaramijó, 1,500 m3. The work, which benefits 300,000 inhabitants, allows Manta to have service flow in some sectors 24 hours a day. “Before it was impossible, recalled the burgomaster.” Zambrano added that there are many proposals in case the construction of the Pacific Refinery does not materialize. He said that high-level roads, basic services and security would be used to build a large tourist complex.
Possible Investors According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade, among the companies interested in investing in the PDR are Petrofac (United Kingdom), Conocophillips (USA), Rosneft (Russia) and others from the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Japan and China 10 billion dollars would be the cost of construction according to the latest estimate. The work benefits 300,000 inhabitants. During construction, it generated 1,512 jobs.
CHRONOLOGY
The initial cost of the project was $ 15,000 million. In 2017, the current administration estimated that it would be $ 8,000 to $ 10 billion.
7 / January 2008 The PDVSA companies of Venezuela and Petroecuador subscribe Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the Pacific Refinery.
July 15, 2008
Former President Hugo Chávez visits the project site. The company is registered as a mixed economy.
November 5, 2016
Former President Rafael Correa informed that $ 1,500 million have been executed in the refinery. It was estimated that the total investment would be $ 15,000 million.
August 15, 2017
President Lenin Moreno recognizes the importance of the project and arranges for it to continue as long as there are interested investors.
November 1, 2017
Sandra Cárdenas is appointed general manager of the Pacific Refinery. They initiate the announcements of interested investors. (I)
