Lima, Peru – Argentina’s Pluspetrol has cut its oil output in northern Peru following protests by indigenous groups who say crude production is damaging the environment, the company said Wednesday.
Indigenous tribes in Peru’s northern Amazon jungle took over three oil wells this week to complain that oil-related pollution is affecting their health and livelihoods.
At least 200 people have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood, the government’s official gazette El Peruano said on Wednesday, citing a health ministry report. The ministry was not available for comment.
“About half of the production in Block 1AB is affected,” a company spokesman said. The block is the company’s second biggest oil field and produces an average of 28,000 barrels a day, according to government data.
Pluspetrol says the damage was from old, abandoned oil wells and not from its operations. It said in a statement it was working with the government and local communities to clean river water and develop projects such as fish farms.
Regional government spokesman Benito Vela said the protesters were demanding that senior government officials go to the remote area to help solve the problem. The government in Lima declined to comment.
Pluspetrol is one of Argentina’s biggest natural gas producers and leads a consortium pumping gas from Peru’s huge Camisea field, one of the biggest reserves in South America.
