Peru dealing with gasoline scarcity after suspending Repsol operations, says PM

LIMA, Feb 3 (Reuters) – New Peruvian Prime Minister Hector Valer stated on Thursday the nation was dealing with a gasoline scarcity resulting from a authorities decree that forbids Repsol SA (REP.MC) from unloading any new oil into a neighborhood refinery within the wake of a big oil spill final month.

“We’re beginning the gasoline scarcity since yesterday, resulting from a decree that we have to annul,” Valer informed reporters.

Valer, who was named prime minister on Tuesday, was not concerned within the determination to droop Repsol’s Peruvian operations, which had been put in place on Jan. 31.

Repsol stated earlier on Thursday that it had filed the mandatory paperwork to restart operations: a brand new contingency plan in case there’s further oil spilled. Peru has but to touch upon the submission.

The suspension got here within the wake of an oil spill simply off the coast of Lima final month, the place over 10,000 barrels of oil have been spilled onto the Pacific Ocean in Repsol’s La Pampilla refinery.

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo known as it the worst ecological catastrophe within the nation’s current reminiscence. Repsol has stated it would take till the tip of February to complete cleansing up the spill.

La Pampilla is Peru’s largest refinery and accounts for about 40% of Peruvian gasoline.

Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; modifying by David Evans

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