Ecuador Oil Transport Falls 5% In First Half As OCP Volumes Drop

Ecuador’s crude-oil transport fell 5% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, as a decline through the OCP pipeline offset higher volumes through the state-run SOTE system.

Combined throughput through the two pipelines averaged 432,909 barrels per day between January and June 2026, compared with 456,306 barrels per day in the same period of 2025.

Pipeline Mix

SOTE transport increased 17.5%, but that was not enough to compensate for a 34% decline in OCP transport.

The two pipelines move crude from Amazon fields to export facilities in Esmeraldas. SOTE is operated by Petroecuador, while OCP is managed through a special state entity.

Production Signal

The lower transport volumes reflect weaker national production. According to Central Bank data cited in the report, Ecuador’s oil production from January to May 2026 was 1.5% lower than in the same period of 2025.

Petroecuador said it is pursuing SOTE maintenance, permanent geotechnical monitoring, containment works, expansion of the protection corridor, and studies for a definitive reroute in the eastern sector.

What To Watch

• Whether SOTE’s higher transport rate persists through the second half.
• OCP throughput and any related pipeline constraints.
• National production data after May.
• Progress on the SOTE protection and rerouting work.