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There is a reasonable underslanding of the effects thal oil may have on ecology,
tourism, fisheries, recreation, human health, coast.al industries, scientific research, etc. These
may include the elimination or changes in behaviour of marine species, particularly larvae and
juvenile fish; the disturbence of food chains; sea bird morLality; beach pollution; a decrease
in catch of or demand for sea products; the possibility of carcinogenic effects on human
health; the impossibility of using polluted water for cooling, desalting or washing operations;
restrict,ions on scientific researchl etc,, all of which finally have economic and social costs
that affect everyone.
As in many other regions of the world, the South-East Pacific region has been affected
by oil pollution due to marine transport activities, offshore platforms, and tanker and other
shipping accidents. Although this pollution mey not be extremely serious, it has an
extraordinary importance because of the value of the resources lhreatened.
Oil pollution problems in the South-East Pacific
Off-shore oil aetivity
Along the South-East Pacific Coast, Chile and Peru are the only two countries with
off-shore oil produclion. In Chile these off-shore oilfields are located in Lhe Magellan Straits,
and in Peru, in the northern part of the country. Off-shore production in Chile exceeded 2.5
million cubic netres in 1982.
There are also exploration and drilling activities in other zones within the region, such
as those in the Gulf of Panama, southern Colombia, the Santa Elena Basin in Ecuador, the
eentral-north basin in Peru, and off the Pacific west coasl of panama (chiriqui). Furthermore
Chile and Ecuador have activities related to off-shore gas production.
In general, except for one incident on a platform in the north of Peru in Oetober 1982,
no incidents of great proportions are known in off-shore production within the region, glch ae
the one that affected the IXTOC I well in Mexico, Tfe minor spillages that have occurred
have been regarded as a routine part of normal exploraLion and production operations.
Oil refinerieg
At present, there are 9 coastal refineries in the region: J in Eeuadorr 2 in Peru, and 4
in Chile. Tlt total refining capacity exceeds 20 thousand cubic metres per day.
Many of these nefineries are equipped with API separators for the 'treatment of oily
water resulting from normal refining qerations and, in general, the oil content of these
effluents is within internationally accepted Iimits. Recently, the Refineria de Concon, Chile,
has installed a novel recycling system for eooling the waters employed in the refining
processr avoiding oil pollution as well as the thermal pollution of the Aconcagua River.
Loadirg and discharge terminalo
Along the South-East Pacif ic Coast there are 17 terminals for the loading and
discharge of crude oil. In addition, rmst commercial ports have terminals for the dischaige of
oil products involved in coastal trade.
Mct of these ports have facilities for the reception of oily ballast (except in
Colombia), although their capacity may be inadequate, since often weather conditions on the
sttipping routes require tankers to take m more ballast than the terminale are capable of
receiving. Although Ineasures are taken to drain mly the water that has already separeted, e
certain degree of pollution is always caused.
Generally, oil pollution in ierminals during the loading and discharge of crude oil ie
comparatively small; it is mainly due to human errors in connecting or disconnecting flexible
hoses or in rermving the pipelines when the discharge is completed. Almost all the terminals
carry out regular preventive maintenance and periodic surveys, both m submarine pipelines
and m nnoring buoys, which are also srbject to overhauls and changes of worn out parts or
fittings. However, some spills have have ccurred dre to failures in submarine pipelines, urch
as the breakage of the submarine pipeline leading to the multibuoy terminal at Ouintero, in
February 1977, which caused a ryill of rnore then 800 cubic netreg.