(Lima) The national oil company Petroperú reported on Sunday an attack on the Norperuano pipeline (ONP) in the wild region of Loreto, which caused an oil leak and forced an environmental emergency plan.
Posted yesterday at 1:10 p.m.
“Police authorities and Petroperú were able to verify that the oil leak that spread through the Cuninico River and reached the Marañón River on Friday was the result of an intentional tear of 21 centimeters in the pipeline,” according to a press release from Petroperú.
“The cut has been plugged to contain the hydrocarbon,” the company said after reporting that a contingency plan had been implemented with a team. Petroperú reported on Friday the presence of traces of crude oil in the Cuninico River, in the region of Loreto (northern jungle), after complaints of contamination filed by several indigenous communities.
The leak affects six indigenous Amazonian communities in Kukama, whose leaders denounced to the press that the river was contaminated.
“Six communities have no water to drink or to prepare their food,” indigenous representative “apu” (chief) Galo Vásquez told reporters.
The prosecution has opened an investigation to confirm the causes of the environmental incident.
Petroperú has reported 10 attacks on its pipeline in Loreto since January, which caused oil spills.
The pipeline has recorded at least 29 sabotage actions since 2014, according to the National Company of Mines, Petroleum and Energy.
The Norperuano pipeline, one of the largest works in the country, was built four decades ago to transport crude oil from the Amazon region to Piura on the coast, stretching some 800 km.