President Correa Praises Research in the Amazon

QUITO - Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, congratulated young research engineers who work at the Center of Environment Technologies of Petroecuador in La Joya de los Sachas, in the Amazonic province of Orellana. This center is aimed at developing biotechnologies for environmental protection. "With these new techniques they develop from microorganisms we can remedy problems without major contamination," the president said.

Correa pointed out that the Center is in charge of designing and applying research projects to recover soil and waters affected with contaminants from the oil industry.

Its specialists will apply technologies to improve environmental processes and include the in vitro cultivation of native vegetable species.

It will also be in charge of checking microorganisms not cultivable, design and implementation of a treatment system of black and gray waters and design a physics-chemical-biological system for treatment of sedimentary mud.

Correa pointed out that reduction of oil spills through the formation of a Corporate Vice presidency of the Environment, Social Responsibility, Security and Health of Petroecuador that have been working hard to prevent the number of spills of previous years.

Petroproduction vice president, Brummer Vazquez, informed the president that according to annual figures 45 spills were reported in 2007 and in 2008 these were reduced to 18 and this year only three contaminating spills have been registered.