Chinese Citic Group works on Venezuela's mining map

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez reported on Friday on the execution of three agreements with Chinese Citic Group, one on housing, the second one on oil and the third one on mining.

Rafael Ramírez, Minister of Petroleum and Mining, told state-owned TV channel Venezolana de Televisión about a deal to outline a mining map of all the country resources. The map, to be completed in five-year term, will include exploration, quantification and certification of all Venezuelan mining reserves. "We will set a database and will train 400 professionals to guard this information," the top officer said.

Ramírez, also the president of state-run oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), commented that the Chinese holding will work on industrial projects for Junín block at the Oil Orinoco Belt, as well as development of non-oil infrastructure for the Belt areas.

He notified as well that Citic Group has also contracts to build 33,000 houses throughout the country, in the context of Great Mission Housing Venezuela. Right now, 24,000 dwellings are being built.