Pungarayacu oil field

The Pungarayacu Oil Field is an oil field located in Napo Province. The oil field is also owned and operated by Ivanhoe Energy.
History.
It was discovered in 1970 and developed by Ivanhoe Energy.
The contract between the Ecuadorian government and Ivanhoe Energy to explore the Block 20 was signed in October 2008 and was planned to run for 30 years. The first barrels produced out of the Pungarayacu field were pumped in October 2010. By 2011, the heavy crude oil was elevated to pipeline quality.
Description.
The total proven reserves of the Pungarayacu oil field are between 4.3 billion barrels (577×106tonnes) and 12.1 billion barrels (1624×106tonnes) with a mean estimate of 6.4 billion barrels (859×106tonnes), and production will be centered on .
Controversy.
The field is located on the lands of the Rucullacta Kichwa population and the area is part of a UN Biosphere Reserve. The natives were barely consulted before initiating the exploration of the oil fields. A "Front of Resistance to the Irrational Exploitation of Natural Resources" was formed in 2004 by the natives to block the exploitation of the oil field. Low intensity conflicts erupted.