Venezuela and Mexico are among the potential strategic partners for joint operations in the fields that used to be developed by oil corporation Oxy. The corporate agreement to drill oil in the Ecuadorian Amazon was made null and void, the Ecuadorian Government disclosed Tuesday.

"There is the possibility of forming a strategic alliance with a state company, as set forth in the regulations," Ecuadorian Minister of Energy Iván Rodríguez said.

Additionally, there is the possibility of "contracting directly a state company of a foreign country to reinforce technically Petroproducción. The subsidiary of state oil company Petroecuador will be responsible for the fields that were held by company Oxy."

Rodríguez listed as candidates for a partnership state oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), ENAP of Chile, Mexican Pemex, Colombian Ecopetrol and Petrobras of Brazil.

He noted that Ecuador has also held discussions with Chile and Mexico concerning bidding of additional oil deposits in Amazon, AFP quoted.