Petroperu head sacked over Amazon spills

  • 01/07/2016
(Reuters)
(Reuters)

The head of Petroperu, German Velasquez, has been sacked after the third oil spill in the Amazon this year from the state-owned energy company's four-decades-old pipeline.

Energy and Mines Minister Rosa Maria Ortiz said that Petroperu had been transporting crude through the pipeline without authorisation as operations had been shut down after two spills earlier this year.

"That's a serious offence and that's what must be sanctioned," Ortiz said on local broadcaster RPP. She added that Velasquez formally resigned on Tuesday (local time).

Velasquez declined to comment.

Petroperu denied earlier this week that it had been operating the pipeline but declined requests for additional comment.

There have been 23 oil spills from the pipeline since 1997, according to the ombudsman's office.

The latest leak, detected on Friday, spilled some 600 barrels of crude in the Amazonian region of Loreto, according to environmental regulator OEFA.

Two ruptures earlier this year leaked some 3000 barrels of oil, polluting rivers and prompting an Amazonian tribe to hold Petroperu officials hostage to press for government aid. The officials were released unharmed.

Reuters