Ecuador's oil industry has played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's economy and infrastructure. The journey began in the early 20th century with the discovery of the first oil well in Ancón, Santa Elena. However, it wasn't until 1925 that commercial production started, and in 1928, the country began exporting oil, albeit in modest quantities.

For decades, oil exploration focused on the coastal region, but significant discoveries in the Amazon region during the 1960s, particularly by the Texaco-Gulf consortium, transformed the industry. The first major commercial well, Lago Agrio 1, drilled in 1967, marked the beginning of large-scale oil production in the Amazon.

The 1970s saw the establishment of key infrastructure, including the SOTE pipeline in 1972, which enabled the transport of crude from the Amazon to the coast. This pipeline was later expanded to handle the growing output. In 2003, the OCP pipeline began operations, further boosting Ecuador's capacity to transport heavy crude oil to international markets.

Today, these developments are reflected in the evolution of Ecuador's oil production and transport capacity, which you can explore in the chart below.