Green light: Pressure from Ecuadorian Indians has not prevented the country authorising the development permit
Petrobras gets Amazon all clear
Ecuador has granted an environmental permit for Brazil's Petrobras to develop the Block 31 oilfield in the Amazon region, with production due to start in 2009, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa said.
The licence was the last hurdle Petrobras needed to clear before starting work on the project, which is vital for Ecuador to increase its oil output.
However, Petrobras' plans faced stiff opposition from environmental groups worried about damage in the Amazon.
In December, Petrobras was given leave to resubmit its environmental proposal so it could answer a number of environmental concerns.
The Brazilian company expects to invest $300 million in the field and aims, once on stream, said it should produce around 40,000 barrels per day.
"The environmental licence has been given to Petrobras .... It has been signed," Correa told reporters.
The block could boost to crude output in Ecuador, whose daily flow has dropped in recent years because of scarce investment and strikes and protests in the Amazon region.
The Amazon block is located in Ecuador's Yasuni national park, where indigenous groups isolated from modern society live alongside rare wildlife.
Development has been delayed by pressure from ecologists and influential Indian groups.
