Petroperu says protests shut oil pipeline in Peru

LIMA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Peru's state-run energy company said on Thursday it had stopped running its oil pipeline in northern Peru because of protests, forcing its main refinery to work off inventories.

The stoppage by Petroperu started on Tuesday after some 500 indigenous people, angry at recent laws passed to promote investment in the Amazon, began a protest. Gas and oil exploration has angered many indigenous and environmental rights groups.

Earlier this week, protesters upset by the same laws forced another energy company in the country to stop work on one of its lots in the Camisea natural gas field in southern Peru. That company, Pluspetrol, has said gas output in Peru has not been impacted.

Cesar Gutierrez, president of Petroperu, told a group of reporters: "As a precaution we are not operating."

Petroperu, which refines, transports and sells petroleum and gas, runs the Norperuano pipeline that moves crude oil from the Amazon jungle to the Talara oil refinery on the northern coast.

"We have reserves for 10 days still," Gutierrez said.

The pipeline pumps some 27,000 barrels of oil a day.

DIESEL IMPORTS UP

Separately, Gutierrez said Petroperu had doubled its imports of diesel to supply two electric generators recently hit by shortages.