Instructions for the Tendering of Marginal Fields

ECIJA Ecuador' s Energy and Natural Resources team presents a new briefing note on the issuance of the Instructions for the Tendering of Marginal Fields, a regulation that incorporates a specific procedural framework for the participation of private companies in projects of exploitation and additional exploration of hydrocarbons in the country.

The regulation establishes the administrative bases for the identification, evaluation and eventual tendering of fields considered marginal, i.e. those that, due to their technical, economic or logistical characteristics, have not been fully developed under the operation of the public company. The regulation seeks to facilitate the incorporation of specialised investment that allows the productive potential of these assets to be exploited.

The note analyses the main elements of the new regime, including the criteria for the qualification of marginal fields, the procedure for their evaluation, the institutional coordination with EP PETROECUADOR, the mechanisms for the provisional return of areas and the technical requirements to be considered within the bidding processes.

It also reviews the stages foreseen for the preparation of pre-contractual documents, the intervention of the competent authorities and the criteria to be considered for the award of projects. These aspects include the technical and economic capacity of the participants, investment commitments and mechanisms aimed at optimising the exploitation of hydrocarbon resources.

The regulation also incorporates provisions aimed at strengthening the transparency and legal security of the processes, providing greater clarity regarding the conditions applicable to private participation in a strategic sector for the Ecuadorian economy.

In this context, the new instructions represent a relevant regulatory development for national and international companies interested in participating in hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation projects, as well as for actors linked to the energy and infrastructure sector.