Campanian M1 Sandstone is one of the major prospective sandstone units in the Tarapoa field in Oriente Basin, Ecuador. The M1 Sandstone is always markedly sharp based, averages 25 m in thickness, shows upward increasing marine bioturbation and generally fines upward from coarse to very fine grained sandstone. In cores, the sandstones at base are amalgamated coarse to fine grained with prominent cross stratification (dm thick), sometimes clearly bi-directional and contains mud drapes.

Fruta del Norte is a completely concealed and extraordinarily well preserved epithermal gold-silver deposit located in the remote Cordillera del Cóndor mountain ranges of southeastern Ecuador. Currently defined resources in a single, steep, relatively small body, displaying exceptional grade continuity, contain 9.81 million ounces (Moz) of gold and 15.0 Moz of silver, with an indicated resource grade of 9.59 g/t Au and 12.9 g/t Ag. The deposit was discovered in early 2006 during a greenfields program conducted by Aurelian Resources, a Canadian junior explorer. Discovery resulted from systematic drill testing of a conceptual geologic model, which predicted that auriferous veins would be present in andesitic volcanic rocks inferred to underlie a steep silicified rib cutting a fluvial conglomerate sequence.

Территория Эквадора геологически изучена слабо. Месторождение Портовело-Зарума, расположенное в юго-западной части Эквадора, имеет особенно важное промышленное значение для страны. Начиная с 1904 года на месторождении было добыто 120 т золота и 250 т серебра, а с 1904 года по 1950 год, в период работа американской компании "South american development company" (SACCO), месторождение являлось одним из ведущих золоторудных объектов во всей Южной Америке.