Pérez denounces obstacles to obtain information from Pacific Refinery

Ecuadornews:

The mixed economy company Refinería del Pacífico and the liquidation of the company Operaciones Río Napo are two issues that are in conflict with the Ecuadorian company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA).

The Minister of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources, Carlos Pérez, said that in the latest project (now called Manabí Refinery) the Venezuelan state disbursed about $ 200 million and after its decision to withdraw requires Ecuador to return those resources.

However, Perez said that the audit carried out by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on five hydrocarbon projects, including the refinery, will determine the real value of the mega-project that has yet to be implemented.

“We have to determine how much the project is worth and proportionally of its $ 200 million will be returned the money,” said Perez yesterday during an interview on Radio Democracia. For its part, the Ecuadorian State, through Petroecuador, invested around $ 1,500 million.

He denounced that some officials hinder or delay the delivery of information required by UNP. “They hide information from us. It is difficult to get it, we must send our own people to the warehouses where the documents are stored, “he said.

For this reason several officials have already been dismissed from their positions, he said. Even a former administrator has a criminal trial initiated by Petroecuador for actions of omission or delay in the delivery of information.

In previous statements, Perez said that PDVSA is considering bringing an arbitration against the Ecuadorian State for this impasse. Regarding the liquidation of the mixed-economy company Operaciones Río Napo, set up with Petroamazonas to operate in the Sacha field, the minister indicated that in order to conclude the agreement it was necessary to carry out an environmental analysis regarding the situation of the field, something that not even It had begun before his administration, but that is already underway, said the official. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/carlosperez-denuncia-refineria-manabi