Ecopetrol told to boost efforts to control oil spill

Colombia's environmental regulator Anla ordered state energy company Ecopetrol to step up efforts to control an oil spill that has caused widespread environmental damage in the northern locality of Barrancabermeja.

In a statement, Anla said it asked Ecopetrol to raise the capacity of equipment being used to pump crude from the area in Santander department.

The agency also sought details about the cause of the incident, the type of crude spilled and the firm's contingency plans.

According to local media, the disaster at the Lizama oil field has so far led to the release of around 20,000b of toxic sludge.

Authorities said dozens of animals have been evacuated to safety while almost 50 families were forced to abandon their homes in the past week.

The incident has also contaminated the Lizama, Caño Muerto and Sogamoso rivers. There are fears the spill could reach the Magdalena river, which provides drinking water to around 30mn people and is home to over 200 fish species.

Ecopetrol CEO Felipe Bayón told Caracol Radio on Monday that 550b of crude have been discharged to date, with the remainder of the fluid being made up of mud and water.

He said the company is still investigating the cause of the spill, which began on March 3 but only became public knowledge last week.

On Friday, the company said it had set up 14 control points comprising five dykes and 66 containment barriers in the affected area.

The emergency operation also includes 23 groups of Ecopetrol staff and 17 trucks to collect and eliminate pollutants.

A snubbing unit, which is being flown in from abroad, is expected to be installed on Wednesday or Thursday to stop the oil flow from the Lizama 158 and 159 wells, according to the company.

"We are absolutely committed to closing the well and preventing further oil from being [released]," Bayón said, adding that the clean-up effort will likely take months.