OREANDA-NEWS. State-owned PetroEcuador re-opened its Balao oil terminal yesterday afternoon but the 110,000 b/d Esmeraldas refinery remains idle in the wake of a devastating 16 April earthquake.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck Ecuador?s coastal provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabi, taking some 350 lives.

PetroEcuador said the closure of the refinery, which recently completed a major overhaul, is precautionary and the plant appears to have suffered no structural damage. The company?s 45,000 b/d La Libertad and the 20,000 b/d Shushufindi (Amazonas) refineries are operating, according to the strategic sectors ministry.

Crude transport through the 360,000 b/d SOTE crude pipeline from the Amazon oil district to Balao has not been affected by the quake.

Stocked fuel storage terminals at El Beaterio, Ambato and Riobamba continue to operate normally. The private-sector 450,000 b/d OCP pipeline is also operating normally.

The Manta airport remains closed to commercial flights after the air traffic control tower collapsed. Manta port suffered no structural damage but has been also shut down and all maritime traffic is being diverted to Guayaquil.

Extensive damage was reported in secondary power transmission lines and infrastructure at Esmeraldas and Manabi, but vice president Jorge Glas assured that high tension trunk lines, dams and hydroelectric facilities have not been damaged.

The quake struck at 18:58 local time and has been followed by some 200 aftershocks.