Ecuador official says mulls lawsuit against Chevron

QUITO, Sept 16 - A top Ecuadorean law enforcement official said on Wednesday he would consider bringing a lawsuit against Chevron Corp .

"The inspector general's office believes it must analyze carefully, in accordance with U.S. and Ecuadorean law, whether or not to proceed with a suit against Chevron," said Ecuador's Inspector General Diego Garcia, who investigates allegations involving foreign companies.

"We are already analyzing, along with our lawyers in the United States, to determine whether or not to proceed, and when to do so," he told reporters.

Last week, Ecuador's attorney general asked Garcia's office to initiate action against Chevron in the United States for possible violations of U.S. law.

The U.S.-based oil company already faces a $27 billion environmental lawsuit in the Andean country.

That lawsuit began 16 years ago, when Ecuador's indigenous communities sued Texaco, claiming the oil major damaged the environment and endangered their health while operating petroleum facilities.

Chevron bought Texaco in 2001 and as a result inherited the lawsuit.