OXY ECu Dispute 2012 New World ?7 Feb 2019 23:49
Start - Ecuador: In a hurry to mend the past
After a decade marred by corruption and legal disputes, Ecuador’s reformist government wants a more investment-friendly exploration regime --- Ecuador's biggest defeat came in 2012, with a $1.76bn award to Occidental over a broadly similar case. The government had seized the company's investment as an "administrative sanction", an action the tribunal ruled as "disproportionate and tantamount to expropriation". Compensation was recently agreed at $980m.
Ecuador's most recent defeat came in 2018 when a claim filed with the UN Commission on International Trade Law by a subsidiary of Petrobras, Cayman International Exploration and Teikoku Oil ended in a $515m award against the government and PetroEcuador. The case followed the nationalisation of two Amazon projects.
In late 2018, Ecuador's story in oil and gas remains one of unfulfilled potential. According to official statistics, accumulated production of oil since 1950 is just shy of 6.9bn barrels. Proven reserves are estimated at 1.7bn, while total PPP reserves total 4.4bn. On top of these, contingent resources stand at around 1.46bn and prospective resources at 4.8bn.
Industry consultants expect production to grow substantially in late 2018, but the main question remains: how will foreign, private investors judge the new regime? This will depend on the eradication of what Expertise law firm describes as "the perception of complexity and lack of transparency in oil transactions and contracts".
And, it should be said, corruption. As Expertise adds: "Along these lines, specific codes of conduct that attack corruption and seek its elimination will be implemented."
So far, no new contract appears to have been signed, but there's plenty of promise, with a total of 68 expressions of interest filed by 25 private companies for the oil and gas fields. According to newspapers' reports, Russia's Zarubezhneft has thrown its hat into the ring, while Canada's Frontera Energy has had talks with the hydrocarbons ministry about developing gas deposits.
As Expertise points out, Ecuador's extrication from conflicts with foreign oil and gas companies has been costly, but could mark the start of a new era. That s why its slowly slowly. Need more info but AMer walking on higher ground. Well played.