Protecting the Tropical Rainforest in Ecuador

Andes Petroleum Ecuador Ltd is a JV company jointly established by CNPC and Sinopec, with CNPC acting as the project operator. The oilfield is located in the hinterland of the Amazon Rainforest, with over half of the project’s oil zones overlapping with nature reserves. Its special geographical location and diverse ecological environment have made this place a global level environmentally sensitive area (ESA), drawing the attention of environmentalists all over the world.

Putting the environment first: The EHS department plays a key role in the project company. We place environmental protection as a top priority and have enforced strict safety and environmental protection rules and procedures in accordance with the best practices of the industry.

Stakeholders’ participation in environmental management: A risk matrix approach is used to rank EHS risks, and EHS related parties are evaluated and ranked according to the analysis, so that we can determine the focal points of the company’s EHS efforts. From the perspectives of managers, persons in charge and contractors, a systematic formulation of EHS management mechanism ensures that the EHS duties are specifically designated and interlinked, and can be fully implemented by all parties.

Environmental impact monitoring: The GIS geographic information system is used to monitor the environmental and social impact of the exploration and development activities, and provide support to decision making in location selection, positioning of pipeline leaks, wetland analysis, analysis and monitoring of nature reserves, and analysis of the traffic network.

Reliable professional team: Managerial personnel are designated to be in charge of security, medical service, environmental protection, and operational safety at the worksite, with dedicated HSE personnel accounting for more than 8% of the workforce.

Environmentally friendly operation: The drilling cuttings and mud receive innocuous treatment before disposal. All associated gas produced is used for power generation. And the ground surface is reverted to its original state in the shortest possible time after operation.

Numerous Awards:

• It was shortlisted by World Oil Magazine as a top three candidate for the “Best HSE/Sustainable Development Award”, and was nominated for the “Environmental World Award” by the Energy Institute in the United Kingdom.


• Awards for environmental protection and management innovation from BIZZ and other world famous institutions.


• An award for Excellent Work in Technology Transfer and Development of the Oil Industry in Ecuador from Ecuador’s Ministry of Non-renewable Natural Resources and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).