Ecuador's state oil company, Petroecuador, has halted oil transport through the country’s main pipeline due to a rupture in a section running through the Amazon. 

"The valves have been closed and oil pumping has been suspended," the company said in a statement on Monday night, blaming a landslide for the damage. However, it did not clarify whether or not the damaged pipeline resulted in an oil spill. 

Despite stopping oil pumping, the company said it was not expecting to shut its oil wells as repair work progressed on the damaged section.

The damaged  Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE) is one of the country's major oil arteries, pumping 360,000 barrels of oil daily. 

In March, a landslide incident resulted in an oil spill of over 25,000 barrels from SOTE pipeline in Esmeraldas, the country’s northwestern Coastal province, leading to a force majeure. As a result, the company announced it was unable to meet its contractual obligations until the investigations into the incident and the repair of the damaged section were completed.

Ecuador’s economy largely depends on oil exports. Therefore, any damage to its main oil pipeline can negatively impact its oil output and export capacity as well as export revenues. 

In 2024 alone, the country produced an average of 475,000 barrels of crude oil daily, with more than 70% of the crude exported to other countries, with North America taking the largest share. 

In 2025, the country earned a whopping $8.6 billion from crude exports. 

It’s unclear when the pipeline repair will be completed and operations restored.