Chevron v Ecuador: the Lago Agrio judgment and PCA Case No. 2009-23

Q: Where is the Chevron v Ecuador arbitration seated?

The Netherlands, under the 1976 UNCITRAL Rules.

Last checked: 22 October 2026 · Case records

Chevron and Texaco Petroleum brought PCA Case No. 2009-23 against Ecuador under the US and Ecuador investment treaty ¹. In its Second Partial Award of 30 August 2018, the tribunal found the 2011 Lago Agrio judgment was ghostwritten in corrupt collusion with the judge, and that Ecuador breached the treaty ². On 17 November 2025 it awarded US$180,402,691.43 plus interest ². As reported by Gladys Rivadeneira in El Comercio, Ecuador's attorney general said a correction decided on 5 February 2026 cut the total to US$215,073,244.43 ³.

Forum: UNCITRAL arbitration administered by the PCA, seat in the Netherlands ¹
Case number: PCA Case No. 2009-23 ¹
Parties: Chevron Corporation and Texaco Petroleum Company v. The Republic of Ecuador ¹
Instrument: United States and Ecuador bilateral investment treaty ¹
Tribunal: Albert Jan van den Berg (Presiding), Horacio Grigera Naón, Vaughan Lowe ¹
Liability finding: Second Partial Award on Track II, 30 August 2018 ^1,2
Amount claimed in Track III: US$793,879,967.74 in legal fees and expenses, plus other heads ²
Amount awarded: US$180,402,691.43 plus US$40,404,250.51 pre-award interest, Fourth Partial Award of 17 November 2025 ²
Correction: Decision of 5 February 2026, total cut to US$215,073,244.43 per Ecuador's attorney general ^1,3
Status checked: PCA lists the case as pending, 22 October 2026 ¹

The Lago Agrio litigation

As reported by Andrea Salazar in Diario El Mercurio, Texaco stopped operating in Ecuador in 1992, and a 1995 agreement required remediation of specific projects, after which the company was released from liability ⁴. In 2003 residents of the Amazon region sued in Lago Agrio, and in 2011 they obtained a judgment of US$18.2 billion, according to the same report ⁴.

The tribunal records that the Lago Agrio Judgment is dated 14 February 2011 ². Chevron argued before the tribunal that the judgment was drafted by the plaintiffs' lawyers, as reported by Salazar ⁴.

The treaty arbitration and the 2018 finding

The arbitration began in 2009 under the 1976 UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, with the PCA providing administrative support and the seat in the Netherlands ¹. The tribunal issued interim awards on interim measures on 25 January 2012, 16 February 2012 and 7 February 2013, and a Third Interim Award on Jurisdiction and Admissibility on 27 February 2012 ¹. A First Partial Award on Track I followed on 17 September 2013 ¹.

In the Second Partial Award on Track II of 30 August 2018, the tribunal found that the Lago Agrio Judgment was ghostwritten by representatives of the Lago Agrio plaintiffs in corrupt collusion with Judge Zambrano ². It found that Ecuador committed a denial of justice under Article II(3)(a) of the treaty, breached the umbrella clause in Article II(3)(c), and violated the First and Second Interim Awards ². It ordered reparation aimed at removing the enforceability of the judgment and at compensating injuries caused by its recognition and enforcement ². A decision on Ecuador's request for interpretation followed on 6 November 2018 ¹.

Track III: compensation

A Partial Award on Threshold Issues of Track III was issued on 30 June 2021 ¹. In Track III the claimants sought US$793,879,967.74 in legal fees and expenses, US$85,315,652 for losses on trademarks and other intellectual property in Ecuador, US$13,000,000 for losses from an embargo in Argentina, moral damages, interest, an indemnity and further injunctive relief ².

In the Fourth Partial Award of 17 November 2025, the executive summary states that the claimants are entitled to US$180,402,691.43, plus pre-award interest of US$40,404,250.51 as of 15 October 2025, with post-award interest at the one-year US Treasury bill rate plus 2% ². The tribunal rejected the Argentina embargo, intellectual property and moral damages claims and did not grant the indemnity ². It granted injunctive relief in part, requiring Ecuador to take immediate steps to remove the enforceability of the judgment ². Horacio Grigera Naón issued a note of partial dissent ^1,2.

Correction and conflicting figures

The PCA lists a Decision on Correction of the Fourth Partial Award dated 5 February 2026, with a note of dissent ¹. As reported by Gladys Rivadeneira in El Comercio, Ecuador's Procuraduría General del Estado said the tribunal accepted its correction request by majority and the total, including capital and pre-award interest, fell from US$220,806,941.94 to US$215,073,244.43 ³. The Procuraduría said it was preparing for a further phase on costs ³.

El Mercurio reported different figures on 23 July 2026, putting the corrected principal at about US$175,720,000 and the total owed at US$224,380,000 as of 17 July 2026 ⁴. The difference between these reports is not resolved by the sources opened for this page ^3,4.

Enforcement and status

As reported by Salazar, Chevron asked a court in Washington on 17 July 2026 to enforce the award and order immediate payment, and Ecuador filed a petition to annul the award on 13 March ⁴. Asked how it would respond, the Procuraduría said it was consulting the relevant authorities, according to the same report ⁴. Chevron said there was no basis to refuse recognition ⁴.

The PCA case page lists the case as pending, with no final award ¹. No source opened for this page says Ecuador has paid any amount under the November 2025 award ^3,4.

Common questions

What did the tribunal decide about the Lago Agrio judgment?

In the Second Partial Award of 30 August 2018, it found the judgment was ghostwritten by the plaintiffs' representatives in corrupt collusion with Judge Zambrano ².

How much was Chevron awarded against Ecuador?

US$180,402,691.43 plus US$40,404,250.51 in pre-award interest in the Fourth Partial Award of 17 November 2025 ². As reported by Gladys Rivadeneira, Ecuador's attorney general said a February 2026 correction cut the total to US$215,073,244.43 ³.

Has Ecuador paid Chevron?

No source opened says so. As reported in July 2026, Chevron asked a Washington court to enforce the award ⁴.

Where is the Chevron v Ecuador arbitration seated?

The Netherlands, under the 1976 UNCITRAL Rules ¹.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email hello@arbitrationoutcomes.org with the official link.

Sources

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