Petroecuador manages crude oil leak in Ecuador's SOTE pipeline

Petroecuador has reported a new emergency involving the Trans-Ecuadorian Oil Pipeline (SOTE) following a crude oil leak in the Quinindé canton, Esmeraldas province. On October 12, 2026, a fissure was detected at kilometer 420+840 near the Cupa precinct. More than 50 technicians are currently working on-site to contain the spill, repair the infrastructure, and protect nearby water sources, including the Cupa River, through the use of containment barriers and absorbent materials.

This incident follows a recent fire at the Baeza N° 4 Station on October 9, which had forced the state company to declare force majeure. While Petroecuador has since lifted that declaration and restored crude transport to a flow of 312,000 barrels per day, concerns remain regarding the reliability of the aging infrastructure. Experts note that the SOTE system is over 50 years old, and repeated vulnerabilities pose a risk to Ecuador’s status as a reliable international crude exporter.