La Brea y Pariñas
Oil complex in Peru / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
La Brea and Pariñas[1] (Spanish: La Brea y Pariñas)[2] was an industrial complex dedicated to the exploitation of the oil field located at the La Brea pampa and Pariñas ravine, located in northern Peru, at Talara Province, Piura. It operated from the early 19th century until 1968.
La Brea and Pariñas | |
---|---|
Country | Peru |
Region | Piura |
Location | Talara Province |
Operator | Standard Oil (IPC) |
Field history | |
Discovery | 19th century |
Abandonment | 1968 |
From 1890 onwards, it was exploited by the Anglo–American company London Pacific Petroleum Company,[3][4] and from 1914 to 1968 by the American International Petroleum Company (IPC), a subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey. The deposits gained notoriety from 1911, when it was discovered that their owners and tenants exploited many more lots than those originally registered, despite which, they refused to pay the taxes to which they were obliged according to Peruvian laws. The IPC even achieved advantageous tax and other exemptions from pro-American governments over several decades.
The long-standing controversy surrounding the refinery and its relation to the penetration of Anglo-American capitalism in Peru was the most scandalous case of its time, which had a considerable influence on the political sphere of the country. In 1968, the government of General Juan Velasco Alvarado ordered the military occupation of the complex, putting an end to the problem.[5] However, the company never paid its debts to the Peruvian State.