A Venezuelan tanker arrived in Ecuadorian seaport of Balao (north) carrying 200,000 barrels of diesel, as part of a swap for crude oil, AFP reported.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is heading Friday a ceremony to mark the occasion.
 
Tanker Manuela Sáenz is to unload the diesel. Venezuela is to receive in exchange 300,000 barrels of heavy-crude oil from Esmeraldas (over the border with Colombia).

Ecuadorian Minister of Energy and Mines Alberto Acosta and his Venezuelan counterpart Rafael Ramírez are also attending the ceremony.

The original shipment was estimated at 220,000 barrels, but Venezuela finally dispatched 200,000 barrels.

This crude oil for diesel swap agreement was initialed by Correa and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez last January 16th.