Ecuador Reopens Oil Zone

Ecuador´s military opened roads and bridges that protesters had taken over in the northeastern provinces of Orellana and Sucumbios as part of last week´s strike that crippled oil production. State-run Petroecuador says 30 of 400 wells are back online, but claims to have lost 740,000 barrels of crude due to the strike. Private oil production, which normally is 340,000 b/d, also was cut by more than half as protesters sabotaged electricity lines and control valves, and dynamited a pipeline. Strikers backed by local authorities are calling for the government to back up promises to use oil revenue for social projects.