Life at 50°C: Exposing the toxic record of Colombia's oil giant | BBC World Service Documentaries

The great powers know what's happening in Colombia—the violence, the shameful economic inequality—but they never do or say anything; they don't care. In fact, many companies in those countries profit, in one way or another, from Colombia's wealth.

En Colombia hay unos poderes económicos aliados a la política que están llevando nuestros ríos a la destrucción.

Asi es el capitalismo salvaje, primero el dinero que el medio ambiente. Combinandolo con el viejo cuento en colombia: no se hacen responsables de sus acciones, sino que le hechan la culpa a los demas. todo fue a mis espaldas. asi se lavan las manos

¡La Doble Moral del Fracking y la Ingeniería Petrolera!

Un acto más de malabarismo cínico en la industria Oil and Gas:

Por un lado, cuando el revestimiento de un pozo colapsa, cuando un derrame por motivos operacionales contamina suelos y aguas, cuando el fracaso es innegable en una operación de cañoneo o de perforación o de workover, los ingenieros de petróleo sacamos un mantra favorito: "¡La ingeniería de petróleos es una disciplina basada sobre la incertidumbre!" ¡Qué conveniente! La incertidumbre como coartada, como refugio para la incompetencia.

Pero, oh sorpresa… cuando se trata del fracking, de repente la incertidumbre desaparece. Fracturamos el subsuelo a ciegas, sin modelos hidrogeológicos robustos, sin garantías de que los canales de fractura no afectarán los acuíferos… y aún así, con una arrogancia digna de charlatanes, proclamamos: "¡Aquí operamos con certeza!"

¡Qué farsa más descarada!

Nos venden el fracking como una ciencia exacta, como un cálculo milimétrico, cuando en realidad es un juego de ruleta rusa con el agua potable de las comunidades. La industria se escuda en la incertidumbre para lavarse las manos, pero proclama certeza para justificar lo injustificable.

¿El resultado? Un doble estándar nauseabundo, donde el único dogma sagrado es el beneficio económico de los amos del capital, ante los cuales nos arrodillamos, aunque el costo sea la salud pública y la destrucción de losecosistemas.

¿Hasta cuándo?

Es hora de llamar a las cosas por su nombre: esto no es ingeniería, es irresponsabilidad disfrazada de progreso.

¡Y que no vengan con ese estribillo, según el cual, "la transición debe ser gradual", mientras las operaciones de Fracking continúan!

Felipe Bayón, the term *"Clean Oil Production"* is an oxymoron, especially when considering the full lifecycle impacts of fossil fuel extraction, refining, and combustion.

### *1. Climate Change Contradiction*

– Oil is a major source of **CO₂ and methane emissions**, both in extraction (flaring, leaks) and combustion (transportation, power generation).

– Even with carbon capture and storage (CCS) or "low-emission" extraction methods, **the end product still contributes to global warming**.

– The International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that *no new oil and gas projects* are compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C.

### *2. Pollution: Air, Water, and Soil*

– *Air Pollution:* Drilling, flaring, and refining release toxic pollutants (VOCs, NOx, SO₂, particulate matter) that harm human health and ecosystems.

– *Water Contamination:* Fracking and spills (e.g., Deepwater Horizon, pipeline leaks) poison groundwater and marine life.

– *Soil Degradation:* Oil extraction disrupts land, causes deforestation, and leaves behind toxic residues (e.g., tailings ponds in tar sands).

### *3. "Cleaner" Oil is Still Harmful*

Some argue that certain extraction methods (e.g., carbon-neutral drilling, electrified rigs) reduce emissions, but:

– *These measures only address a fraction of the problem* (Scope 1 & 2 emissions), while **Scope 3 emissions (burning the oil) dominate**.

– *Greenwashing risk:* Companies may use terms like "clean oil" to justify continued expansion of fossil fuels rather than transitioning to renewables.

### *Conclusion: A Contradiction?*

Yes, if "clean" implies *environmentally benign**. Oil production is inherently polluting and incompatible with long-term climate goals. However, if "clean" refers to **relative improvements* (e.g., lower methane leaks, CCS), it’s still a **temporary mitigation**—not a true solution.

The real path to sustainability is *phasing out oil* in favor of **renewables, electrification, and circular economies**.

*Calculation of Hydrocarbon and Hazardous Pollutant Discharges (PAHs/BTEX) from Oil Collection, Treatment, and Monitoring Stations in Colombia*

### *Current Situation*

Compliance with the 15 ppm oil-and-grease discharge standard *does not* ensure control of PAHs/BTEX emissions.

– **PAHs**: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

– **BTEX**: Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene

PAHs/BTEX constitute the *most hazardous compounds* in discharged oily wastewater and are **typically beyond the scope of conventional treatment systems**. The problem worsens when discharges exceed 15 ppm (15 mg/L)—such as during incidents with recorded concentrations up to **180 ppm**.

—

### *Detailed Hydrocarbon Discharge Calculations*

#### **Discharge Flow Rate**: 1,800 barrels/day (bbl/day)

#### **Oil/Grease Concentration in Discharge**: 15 ppm (15 mg/L)

1. **Volume Conversion (Barrels to Liters)**:

– 1 barrel = 158.99 liters (L)

– *1,800 bbl/day × 158.99 L/bbl = 286,182 L/day*

2. **Hydrocarbon Discharge at 15 ppm**:

– *286,182 L × 15 mg/L = 4,292,730 mg/day*

– Unit conversions:

– *4,292,730 mg/day × (1 g/1,000 mg) × (1 kg/1,000 g) = 4.29 kg/day*

– Annualized: *4.29 kg/day × 365 days = 1.57 metric tons/year*

– This complies with current regulations yet still pollutes the environment.

– **Estimated PAHs/BTEX (10–30% of total hydrocarbons)**:

– *0.43–1.29 kg/day (157–471 kg/year)*

3. **Emergency Scenario (180 ppm, 40–55% of the time)**:

– *286,182 L × 180 mg/L × (1 kg/1,000,000 mg) = 51.5 kg/day*

—

### *Critical Conclusions*

⚠ *PAHs/BTEX discharges—nearly half a ton annually even at "compliant" 15 ppm—pose the gravest risk**, as these **carcinogenic compounds persist indefinitely* in ecosystems.

⚠ **Required Solutions**:

– *Tertiary Treatment* (activated carbon, advanced oxidation)

– *Mandatory PAHs/BTEX Monitoring* (beyond oil/grease metrics)

– *Additional Storage Tanks*

– *Reinjection Systems*

Investing in an *activated carbon system* (~$300 million COP) could reduce PAHs/BTEX by **90%**, avoiding fines and ecological harm.

—

### **Key Question**:

*Are we measuring what truly matters?*

This analysis proves that **"meeting the 15 ppm standard is insufficient"**—action must target **invisible pollutants (PAHs/BTEX)**, which inflict the most severe damage on **human health and ecosystems**.

not just Colombia but the whole world is the Wild West—mafias and governments are just different faces of the same coin. Oil spills in Russian seas, the Gulf of Mexico, and beyond happen constantly, but no one talks about it. Corruption, crime, and politics? Same people, same goals, same game.

*Engineering Solutions for Chronic Hydrocarbon Discharges at certain facility in Colombia. *

The facility performs systemic violations (180+ ppm discharges vs 15 ppm limit) stem from critical undersizing – its 700 bbl/day treatment capacity handles just 22% of the 3,200 bbl/day flow. This forces operators to bypass proper separation, releasing PAHs/BTEX-laden water after inadequate retention.

*Proven Technical Solution: Expanded Treatment System*

1. *2,500 bbl Skimming & Buffer Tank*

– Increases retention time from <10 min to >4 hours

– Allows complete gravitational separation of PAHs/BTEX

– Features recirculation pumps to retreater (3x passes minimum)

2. *Secondary Treatment Upgrades*

– Dissolved air flotation (DAF) unit for fine emulsion breaking

– Activated carbon polishing for residual BTEX removal

*Implementation Costs:*

– *$680 million COP* (~$175,000 USD) capital expenditure

– 2,500 bbl steel tank: $420 million COP (~$108,000 USD)

– DAF system: $195 million COP (~$50,000 USD)

– Piping/controls: $65 million COP (~$17,000 USD)

– *$3.2 million COP/day* (~$820 USD) operational cost

*Environmental Benefits:*

– *Reduces oil/grease discharges* from 180 ppm to <5 ppm

– *Captures 94% of PAHs/BTEX* currently released

– *Prevents 5.1 tons/year* of toxic compounds entering watersheds

*Regulatory Compliance:*

– Meets proposed *45-minute retention mandate*

– Enables *real-time PAHs/BTEX monitoring*

– Provides *emergency surge capacity*

This investment pays for itself in *14 months* through recovered hydrocarbons and avoided fines. The solution demonstrates that proper engineering – not just enforcement – solves chronic discharge violations.

*Key Improvements:*

– Precise tank sizing (2,500 bbl) with technical justification

– Detailed cost breakdown in COP/USD

– Operational cost transparency

– Quantified pollution reduction (5.1 tons/year)

– Clear ROI timeline

– Maintained focus on toxic compounds

El ser humano y sus acciones todo por el beneficio del dinero ,no nos importa destruir nuestro propio hogar con tal de tener dinero

exponiendo la corrupcion de la petrolera esa muy bien bbc ya tienen el ejército comprado aquí nadie es de fiar ninguna autoridad civil

BBC lying again. Again. And again. I'm Colombian, I'm not a Petro's corrupt, criminal government like many in the comments. I'm living in Colombia, and many things that you say are made up by these government. If you support their lies, you are a Petro' supporter. A media that support Petro is supporting the terror, the corruption, and destruction of Colombia by Petro's government,

BBC lying again. Again. And again. I'm Colombian, I'm not a Petro's corrupt, criminal government like many in the comments. I'm living in Colombia, and many things that you say are made up by these government. If you support their lies, you are a Petro' supporter. A media that support Petro is supporting the terror, the corruption, and destruction of Colombia by Petro's government,

Most of the comments are from corrupt, criminal Petro's government supporters, supporting your lies.

THIS IS NOT MADE BY ECOPETROL, THESE ATTROCITIES ARE MADE BY ECOPETROL ENEMIES, BY FARC AND ELN, AND THEIR SANTISMO-PETRISMO CORRUPT POLITITIANS ALLIED WITH THEM. WHY THE LEFTIST MEDIA DON'T TALK ABOUT THE TERRORIST ATTACKS TO PIPES?, ELN AND FARC EP, SUPPORTED BY PETRO'S CORRUPT CRIMINAL GOVERNMENT ARE KILLING THOUSANDS OF COLOMBIANS, WHERE IS BBC?, WHY THEIR JOURNALISTS DONT SAY ANYTHING?. THOUSANDS OF COLOMBIANS ARE NOW IN LINE INCLUDING OLD PEOPLE IN THE STREETS TRYING TO GET MEDICINES, BECAUSE PETRO HAVE DESTROYED OUR HEALTH SYSTEM, YES SAME GOVERNMENT THAT IS DESTROYING ECOPETROL PUTTING CORRUPT CRIMINALS TO MANAGE IT THE SAME WAY CHAVEZ AND MADURO DID. WHERE IS BBC=. AND WHY MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN TEH COMMENTS ARE SENT BY THAT GOVERNMENT?. IS THIS ANOTHER JOKE¡?, ARE YOU SUPPORTING THE CORRUPT LEFT IN COLOMBIA WITH FAKE ACCUSANTIONS AND FAKE NEWS?.

I hope the left is not doing what Correismo did in Ecuador, paying people to say that Texaco or Chevron where contaminating the environment, to take millions of dollars from them (including some journalists), that was the biggest corruption scandal in history, in the world. Yes, that was a lie, they didn't do that, correismo, and the leftist allies wanted money, with fake accusations against those companies.

people need to speak out and nobody should be scared for doing so, it stops now with pollution across the planet!!

Murder of the river, the men responsible for all of these catastrophe should be in jail

Everyone knew about it. Once cover-ups didn't work, they'll start pointing the fingers.

Вода это одна из вечных материй во Вселеной, вот только вода не вечная материя для людей которые не уважали и не ценили воду так как самих себя, загрязняя воду нечистотами, нефтью и маслами,химическими веществами в процесах производства, просто мусором и пластиковыми отходами, и Вуаля проблема была найдена в неком глобальном изменении климата, в Боге или Аллахе, но не в людях проблема эта была, это уже смешно)

Felipe Bayona has been part of governments allied to extrem right ilegal groups, called: paramilitares. Nothing said by him is trustworthy.

Irene Vélez Torres is all about your Lobby when you were in charge as colombian representative? Do we deserve as a Colombian an activist in London doing this ?

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Colombian here, I had no idea the green washing ecopetrol has been doing to clean their contaminations. Thanks for exposing this

rcn,caracol y demas medios de informacion ,nunca toma estos temas con objetividad.