Dealing With Stakeholders After Early Failures in a Gas Pipeline in Pristine Jungle

Abstract

The development of gas fields in the Peruvian Amazon jungle required the construction of new pipelines in unexplored tropical forest areas, which faced unexpected logistic and operative difficulties, including several leaks and ruptures. This article briefly describes those early failures and how collaboration among people with notable different interests, work cultures, and idiosyncrasies could eventually handle the pressure by regulatory agencies, shareholders, media, environmental NGOs, and political parties. All failures in the forest were due to soil movements, related to a poor understanding of topological and geotechnical characteristics of the hilly forest, and how water flow influenced soil stabil- ity. The reasons for public outrage after the failures are discussed, including politically fueled nationalistic sentiments, transnationally driven natural resource exploitation and indigenous power struggles. The oil and gas development was itself the main reason for most trouble; but leaks and failures severely weakened the position of the operator, who then implemented some methods to regain public consensus.