At least four days to restart operations in Amuay

As a result of the blast in Amuay, a refinery located in the state of Falcón, north-west Venezuela, on Sunday, processing and dispatch operations will continue on hold as fire still blazed in the yard of olefin tanks. 

Despite attempts to put out the fire, it continued sweeping through gasoline tanks, therefore causing delay to restart full operations.

Jesús Luongo, general manager at the Paraguaná Refinery Complex (CRP) informed on Sunday that loading and unloading docks had been reopened and distillation and gasoline fractioning units were already in operation.

Luongo outlined that one of the two burning tanks was running out so major efforts to put out the fire would be placed in the other tank, reported Reuters. If the efforts at extinguishing the fire proved unsuccessful, Pdvsa would have to wait for two or three days until the fire would burn the whole stored fuel.

Venezuelan Minister of Petroleum and Mining Rafael Ramírez said once the fire was put out, with the whole situation under control, commissioning of the plant would not be possible for at least two days.

In other words, from the moment the blast took place, the plant would not start normal operations in at least four days.

Meanwhile, José Luis Iglesias, a local mayor, asserted fire would continue for at least four or five days, which implied more delay.

As time passed, fear among nearby residents went on.