EcoPetrol Colombia Pollution Investigations
Documenting air pollution by majority-state-owned EcoPetrol, from 26 March - 6 April, 2023
Ecopetrol Gas Well #1051
Location: Yondó, Antioquia Department
Coordinates: -73.907778, 7.0625
Date filmed: 28 March 2023
This is a gas well head is located next to a busy central road. The OGI image shows an exhaust pipe (to the right of the green drum cylinder and to the left of the red/green gas ‘tree’ structure with a black/yellow pump on top) that is venting a constant amount of dark hydrocarbon plumes that include methane gas and volatile organic compounds (such as benzene, butane, propane and others). This pipe likely releases these plumes because the gas pressure is presumably very high coming from the underground pipes and thus cannot make it to the pipelines carrying the gas to other facilities, so it is vented instead. In this case, we could see the plumes traveling relatively low to the ground, and far across the nearby road, where pedestrians, cyclists and cars were present.
Ecopetrol/Ismocol Joshi Parko PAL-10 Oil Well
Location: Palágua, Boyacá Department
Coordinates: -74.50443, 6.06561
Date filmed: 31 March 2023
This is an oil well head is accompanied by approximately 10 other oil pumps and well heads in the same field. PAL 10 is not active, marked with a sign that says ‘Danger Do Not Operate’. The OGI image shows an exhaust pipe (at the front of the pumpjack and to the right of the pump rod) that has fugitive emissions being released, in the form of small but constant puffs of hydrocarbon plumes that traveled low to the ground and to the right of the pumpjack. The field is near a marsh, a small market, and several homes.
Ecopetrol Barrancabermeja Refinery
Location: Barrancabermeja, Santander Department.
Coordinates: -73.88273, 7.06994
Date filmed: 29 March 2023
This is the main refinery in Colombia, situated in the middle of the city of Barrancabermeja (Santander Department), and next to the Magdalena River and its tributaries.The OGI images shown here focus on the large hydrocarbon plume from a seeming incomplete/partial flaring process being released up into the air. In the area below the flare, there are three stacks that are emitting a significant amount of hydrocarbons. As the camera pans right, we see a shorter stack immediately after the separator-type green structure venting uncontrolled hydrocarbons directly into the air , and also two other taller stacks releasing steady plumes into the air. One or two of the thinner stacks are releasing steam. The smell of petroleum throughout the city of Barrancabermeja is pervasive.
Ecopetrol LC16A Storage Tank
Location: Barrancabermeja, Santander Department.
Coordinates: -73.574833, 6.923533
Date filmed: 28 March 2023
This tank is part of a tank battery in the outskirts of Barrancabermeja (Santander Department), and is located immediately behind a main entrance to the facility. The OGI video shows a large plume of hydrocarbons dispersing up into the air toward the left. The origin of the emissions is likely a valve hidden at the right end of the tank. The digital photo of the tank does not show the emissions.