Energy
Oil, hydroelectric, renewables, pipelines
119 articlesEcuador Electricity Demand Hits 5,634.31 MW July Record
Ecuador’s electricity demand reached 5,634.31 MW at 19:00 on July 15, the highest level recorded so far in 2026. The peak exceeded the Electricity Master Plan’s 2026 normal-growth projection of 5,206 MW, adding pressure before the October-March dry season.
Ecuador Faces 1,300 MW Dry-Season Deficit Scenario In 2026 Power Planning
Ecuador faces at least six electricity-system challenges before the 2026 Amazon dry season, including climate risk, delayed thermal rentals, aging plants and maintenance timing. Hydroelectric generation normally covers about 85% of demand, making dry-season hydrology the central operating risk.
Ecuador Extends PCR Contract For Pindo Oil Block Through 2037
Ecuador’s environment and energy ministry signed a USD 69 million extension with Petroquímica Comodoro Rivadavia to operate the Pindo oil block through 2037. The contract includes exploration wells, development wells, workovers using hydraulic fracturing techniques and gas-capture systems.
Orion Energy And Gente Oil Submit Offers For Intracampos III Fields
Orion Energy and Gente Oil submitted offers for the Tetete Sur and Lumbaqui fields in Ecuador’s Intracampos III oil round. The government expects the round to lift national oil production by 9,900 to 12,000 barrels per day.
Celec Awards USD 47.8M 50 MW Diesel Rental For Enrique García Plant
Celec awarded a USD 47.8 million contract to rent 50 MW of land-based thermal generation for the Enrique García plant in Guayaquil. The process launched on May 7 and was awarded July 8, creating a timing risk ahead of Ecuador’s October dry season.
Ecuador Seeks 90-110 MW Barge Extension As Dry-Season Risk Builds
Elecaustro opened a USD 42.7 million process to keep the 90-110 MW Erin Sultan barge operating at Las Esclusas. Cenace warns of a 25% probability of power deficits in the 2026-2027 dry season and says Ecuador needs at least 893.7 MW of additional capacity.
Petroecuador Awards 950,000-Barrel Fuel Oil Sale To Trafigura
Petroecuador awarded Trafigura PTE a 950,000-barrel Fuel Oil No. 6 sale expected to generate roughly USD 63 million. The sale covers five cargoes of 190,000 barrels each, plus or minus 10%, using the USGC HSFO marker and a USD -5.25 per-barrel differential.
Ecuador Fuel Subsidy Cost Estimated At USD 650M Over Three Months
Ecuador’s fuel subsidy cost for Extra, Ecopaís and diesel was estimated at roughly USD 650 million between May and July 2026. The estimate breaks down to USD 190 million from April to May, USD 220 million from May to June, and USD 240 million from June 11 to July 11.
Ecuador Energy Plan Includes Colombia Purchases And 100 MW Rental Generation
Ecuador is preparing for the dry season with possible electricity purchases from Colombia and land-based rental generation targeting 100 MW this year. The plan comes as estiaje usually begins in September and may coincide with El Niño conditions.
Progen Local Dispute Adds USD 6.1M Claim To Celec Contract Fallout
A new contract dispute tied to Progen’s emergency generator work adds a USD 6.1 million claim between local companies to an already complex Celec fallout. The issue expands the commercial-risk map around Ecuador’s 2024 emergency power procurements.
Petroecuador Adds 3,181 bpd From New Auca Well
Petroecuador started operations at ACAL-245HUI in the Auca asset, adding 3,181 barrels per day and an estimated USD 5.2 million in monthly revenue for the state.
Elecaustro Cancels 100 MW Emre Bey Barge Procurement After Sercop Objections
Elecaustro declared the Emre Bey floating-generation process deserted after Sercop identified procurement-law issues and recommended cancellation. The failed 100 MW contract is material because national demand averages about 4.300 MW and the government is preparing for the next dry season.
Ecuador Opens $39.24M Tanicuchí Transmission System In Cotopaxi
Ecuador inaugurated the Tanicuchí transmission system in Cotopaxi, a $39.24 million project expected to benefit 487,919 residents. The system includes 230/138 kV infrastructure and 150 MVA of capacity, financed through BID, JICA, Celec and fiscal resources.
Ecuador Power Bottleneck Extends To Transmission As 29 Priority Works Wait
Ecuador’s electricity constraint is not only generation. CENACE has identified 29 priority transmission and subtransmission projects, while several substations operate close to capacity and demand keeps rising.
Progen-Celec Contract Scrutiny Expands As Pre-Award Lobbying Timeline Emerges
Progen’s activities before winning major Celec contracts are drawing renewed scrutiny after Primicias reported a pre-award timeline of meetings and moves involving energy-sector figures. The issue keeps emergency generation procurement in focus for contractors, lenders and policy watchers.
Ecuador Fuel Band Pushes Diesel to USD 3.25 and Extra Gasoline to USD 3.31 in June
Diesel reached USD 3.25 per gallon and Extra gasoline reached USD 3.31 in June 2026 under Ecuador’s monthly fuel-price band system. The adjustment mechanism remains a cost variable for logistics, transport and consumer inflation exposure.
Ecuador Oil Output Falls 1.5% In January-May 2026
Ecuadorian crude production fell 1.5% between January and May 2026, according to Primicias. The decline keeps energy-sector execution and Petroecuador output central to fiscal monitoring for the rest of the year.
Colombia Power Sales Could Cut Ecuador's Dry-Season Deficit to 850 MW
Colombia could resume electricity sales to Ecuador after publishing a June 7 draft resolution, but supply is uncertain from November 2026 into early 2027. Primicias reports that Colombian imports could reduce Ecuador's severe dry-season deficit from roughly 1,300 MW to 850 MW if the 450 MW interconnection is available.
Petroecuador Lobo Field Reaches 2,300 bpd After 20-Year Drilling Gap
Petroecuador restarted drilling activity at the Lobo field in Block 7 after more than 20 years without new wells. The mature-field program lifted production from about 500 bpd to more than 2,000 bpd, reaching a 2,300 bpd peak in the first half of 2026.
Ecuador Companies Face Autogeneration Deadline as Dry-Season Deficit Could Reach 1,300 MW
Ecuadorian companies are accelerating private power investments ahead of the October 2026 dry season, when the generation deficit could reach 1,300 MW. Large consumers face a six-month deadline under Executive Decree 32, while industry groups estimate private-sector autogeneration capacity at 300-400 MW, much of it emergency-grade.
