Ecuador starts to shut down oil drilling on nature reserve

The Ecuadorean government on Wednesday began the process of shuttering oil wells in the 43-ITT block, located on a vast nature reserve, after voters last year backed a referendum to end drilling in the area on environmental concerns.

The energy ministry said in a statement it closed one of the 247 wells in the block, the Ishpingo B-56well, part of a plan expected to take around five-and-a-half years.