Pdvsa reveals losing operational capacity in Venezuelan main refineries

Based on a report produced by state-run oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), Amuay refinery is processing 345,000 barrels per day out of a capacity of 645,000 barrels

Amuay has not recovered from the blast occurred five months ago (File photo: Reuters)

EL UNIVERSAL

Tuesday January 22, 2013 11:25 AM

The operational capacity in the largest oil refining complex in Venezuela has dropped to 57%, according to a report prepared by state-run oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) quoted by Reuters.

The report came five months after a blast that unleashed the worst tragedy in the Venezuelan oil history.

The Venezuelan government has provided several dates for the full restoration of Amuay. This, together with neighboring Cardón, comprised the Paraguaná Refining Center (CRP). The complex has not gotten back to normal. As a result, Venezuela needs to keep on importing fuel.

Amuay refinery is processing 345,000 barrels per day out of a capacity of 645,000 barrels. Cardón, for its part, is refining between 194,000 and 310,000 barrels per day of crude oil, out of a capacity of 310,000 bpd, the report of January 18 found.

In this way, the CRP is processing around 551,000 bpd, out of a total capacity of 955,000 bpd.

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