Ecuador ends Amazon oil protest, reports losses

QUITO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Ecuador reached a deal with protesters in the oil-rich Amazon region to end a three-day protest that cost the country 26,227 barrels of crude and $2 million in revenues, the state company said on Thursday.

Petroecuador said in a statement that its daily output was down to 155,364 barrels on Thursday from last week's average of 174,124 barrels. It said it will take eight days to reach normal production levels.

Earlier this week dozens of villagers in the Shushufindi region in the Sucumbios province blocked roads leading to key oil fields operated by Petroecuador. The company said the blockage prevented workers and needed fuel to reach oil facilities.

Government negotiators late on Wednesday agreed to some of the villagers' demands for more jobs.

Repeated oil demonstrations in the poor Amazon jungle have slashed output of both private and state companies in South America's fifth largest oil producer.