Peru Energy Company Reports Amazon Oil Spill

An oil spill in the Amazon region of Peru was detected on Friday night, state energy company Petroperu said in a statement on Saturday, adding that measures were being taken to fix the ruptured pipeline and to protect the environment.

The company said it was investigating the cause of the spill, which took place in the Barranca district of Maranon province. Cleanup efforts were focused on preventing spilled oil from being absorbed into the ground, it said.

The statement did not give an estimate of how much oil had escaped from the Nor Peruano pipeline in the accident. Previous spills had raised tensions between local residents and Petroperu.

In March, an indigenous village in the Amazon area briefly held several public officials hostage to press for help after a ruptured pipeline leaked 1,000 barrels of crude. That spill followed a similar leak that released 2,000 barrels near other indigenous communities.

(Reporting by Ursula Scollo; Editing by Bill Rigby)