Argentine oil company Pluspetrol has resumed operations at blocks 1AB and 8 in Peru's Loreto department after losing roughly US$15mn in output, Peru's mining and energy ministry (MEM) said in a statement.

Pluspetrol had closed operations due to protests from indigenous communities that started on October 10 over alleged environmental violations at the sites.

Protests ceased following Pluspetrol's agreement with indigenous communities, the health ministry, the regional government and the public legal defense service, Valdivia said.

According to the agreement, Pluspetrol must re-inject 100% of production water into the Corrientes river basin by end-December 2007 for block 1AB, and by end-July 2008 for block 8, MEM reported.

Pluspetrol in August produced 29,592b/d of hydrocarbons liquids on block 1AB and 17,839b/d on block 8, according to government figures.

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