Rebels attack Ecopetrol pipeline

Colombia attack: Rebels in fresh assault on pipeline

related stories

News Wires

 04 January 2013 21:29 GMT

Colombian rebels blew up a section of the Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline owned by state oil company Ecopetrol, a military source said on Friday, in the first attack on oil infrastructure this year.

Oil spillage and environmental damage to the rural area in Colombia's Norte de Santander province was limited because the pipeline was shut for maintenance, but the explosion caused some oil to leak into the River Arauca, a spokesman for Ecopetrol said according to Reuters.

Ecopetrol is seeking to clean up the contamination, he said.

Marxist insurgent groups in Latin America's fourth-largest oil producer have stepped up bombings over the past year, especially against the 480-mile (780-km) Cano Limon-Covenas line, which has a capacity of 220,000-barrels per day and usually pumps around 80,000 barrels.

There…

Become an Upstream member!

Membership includes a subscription to our weekly newspaper providing in-depth news from the energy industry, plus full-access to this site and its archives. Still not convinced? Try our free trial.

Already a member?

Login

Upstream share price index