Natural Resource

Natural Resource

1. The exploitation of natural resources is the use of natural resources for economic growth, sometimes with a negative connotation of accompanying environmental degradation.

   • ¿ Why resources are under pressure?
     • Increase in the sophistication of technology enabling natural resources to be extracted quickly and efficiently.
       • Lack of awareness among the population is striking. People are not aware of ways to reduce depletion and exploitation of materials.
     • Excessive demand often leads to conflicts due to intense competition.
       • Cultures of consumerism. Materialistic views lead to the mining of gold and diamonds to produce jewelry, unnecessary commodities for human life or advancement.
   • Consequences of exploitation of resources
     • • Desertification
     • • Extinction of species
     • • Extreme energy
     • • Deforestation
     • • Oil depletion
   • Petroleum and Natural Gas
     • Petroleum was the single most important element in the Ecuadorian economy, accounting for over 14 percent of the GDP in 1986, two-thirds of all export revenues in that year, and much of the foreign investment.
       • More than 100 million barrels of crude petroleum were removed in six decades of exploitation.
         • Unlike many of the larger OPEC countries, Ecuador refined less than half of the petroleum it produced
       • More than 100 million barrels of crude petroleum were removed in six decades of exploitation.
         • Most of the country's 123,000 bd refining capacity was located at two refinery complexes, one at Esmeraldas and a complex of three refineries at the Santa Elena oil fields
       • This area formed part of a rich oil-bearing region extending from southern Colombia through Ecuador and northeastern Peru.
         • Ecuador built the 503-kilometer Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline to carry crude petroleum from the Oriente fields across the Andes to a new refinery just south of Esmeraldas.