During 2025, the public company Petroecuador disconnected 30 lighters in operating fields located in Orellana and Sucumbíos, completing 100% of its annual goal. This action is part of a broader plan to dismantle 424 lighters by 2030.
The project succeeded in eliminating more than 400 cigarette lighters
Among the fields involved are Auca, Cuyabeno, VHR, Indillana, Libertador, Pucuna and Sacha. Annual planning has eliminated 170 lighters in total, representing 40% of the overall target.
Lighter burner shutdown has been made possible through the application of technologies to capture, transfer and reuse the associated gas. This initiative allows the resource to be used in processes such as electricity generation, refining and industrial heating, reducing routine flaring.
The duration of the dismantling of each burner varies between 12 and 36 months, depending on the complexity of the site and the existing infrastructure. Petroecuador executes these activities in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Energy, which ensures regulatory compliance and facilitates investment planning.
With these actions, the state-owned company seeks to strengthen its operational efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of its operations in the Amazon. The goal is to replace venting systems with sustainable energy sustainable energy technologyin line with the country’s climate commitments and international standards.
Petroecuador plans to continue at this pace in the coming years in order to meet the cronogram establishedconsolidating a structural change in the management of associated gas.
Source and photo: Petroecuador
