Threats from Oil and Gas Projects in the Western Amazon - Recent Advances and Issues in Environmental Science - page 150

Figure 3. Overlap of oil and gas blocks with biodiversity and protected areas. The number of species
of mammals (A), birds (B), and amphibians (C) across the Americas, where the highest diversity
occurs in the western Amazon. Detailed view of the western Amazon region, outlined by the box in
A, for mammals (D), birds (E), and amphibians (F). In this region hydrocarbon blocks overlap areas
of exceptionally high biodiversity. Protected areas shown are those considered strictly protected by
the IUCN (categories I to III).
Several large recent oil discoveries in the remote forests on the Peruvian side of
the Peru-Ecuador border will likely trigger a new wave of development. Initial esti-
mates indicate over 500 million barrels in Blocks 67 and 39 (labeled in Figure 4), the
former of which has recently begun its development phase [40]. Gas development in
the Camisea region is likely to continue as well. A new gas discovery in the region
announced in January, 2008 brought the proven reserves of the Camisea area to over
15 trillion cubic feet. In addition, a wave of exploration is about to begin as the 40