Ecuador threatens to take over oil operations

QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador will propose  legislation to take over operations of oil companies in the  country unless the firms sign new contracts aimed at increasing  state control over the sector, President Rafael Correa said yesterday.

The government wants foreign oil companies to give up their  profit-sharing deals and sign new contracts under which they  would become service providers. But negotiations over the new  contracts are progressing slowly.

“Every day that passes there are millions of dollars going  to these companies that should be going to the Ecuadorean  state,” Correa said during a televised address.

“I’m out of patience,” he said. “We are sending a bill to  Congress that would allow for the expropriation of oil fields  should the companies not want to sign the new contracts.”

Spain’s Repsol, Brazil’s Petrobras, Chinese consortium Andes Petroleum and Italy’s Eni operate in the Andean country, despite Correa’s  ongoing spats with the private sector.

The leftist president says OPEC-member Ecuador needs to  increase control over its own natural resources.

Correa has had a troubled relationship with private  investors. He shocked the markets in 2008 by defaulting on $3.2  billion in bonds and has sided with plaintiffs in the Amazon  region of the country who are suing US oil company Chevron  Corp for $27 billion in environmental damages.

He has threatened to nullify an arbitration ruling against  his government in its feud with the oil giant.