Venezuela Captures Suspected US Spy Near CRP

(Energy Analytics Institute, 11.Sep.2020) — Venezuela captured an alleged American spy near its Amuay refinery located in FalcĂłn state. “We have captured an American in FalcĂłn, spying on the Amuay and CardĂłn refineries,” state oil company PetrĂłleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) announced 11 September 2020 in an official statement, citing […]

PdV Receives Diesel Cargo, Patches Gasoline Unit

(Argus, 8.Jul.2020) — PdV received a cargo of ultra-low sulfur diesel today at its Amuay terminal, close to where the Venezuelan state-owned company is running into more snags at its main refining complex. The cargo came aboard the Malta-flagged Gemma that loaded at Milazzo on 19-21 June. Italy’s Eni and […]

Iran’s Oil Supply To Venezuela Eases Glut

(Argus, 19.May.2020) — Iran’s gasoline shipments to Venezuela are helping to ease a supply glut at home, where demand has collapsed because of strict measures to check the Covid-19 pandemic. The shipments and Tehran’s parallel support for Venezuelan state-owned PdV’s effort to repair its refining system have the added effect […]

PDVSA Amuay and Cardon Shuttered

(S&P Global Platts, 27.Jan.2020) — PDVSA has shut down its last two operating refineries in Venezuela, closing its Amuay and Cardon facilities at the Paraguana Refining Center (CRP), the largest refining complex in the country, according to a technical report seen Monday by S&P Global Platts. Due to multiple failures […]

PDVSA Partly Restarts Amuay After Blackout

(Reuters, 18.Jul.2019) — Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA partly restarted activity at its 645,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Amuay refinery where a blackout halted operations in early Jul., four sources with knowledge of the matter said, though it remained well below capacity. The refinery’s catalytic cracker restarted and was processing 68,000 bpd, […]

PDVSA’s Amuay Halts Cat Cracker

(Reuters, 27.Jun.2018) – Venezuela’s 645,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Amuay refinery has halted its catalytic cracking unit and its distillation unit No. 5, a refinery worker and a union leader said on Wednesday, while state oil company PDVSA said the units were operational. The cat cracker was halted on Saturday while the […]

PDVSA owes Cardon IV partners Eni and Repsol $1bn

(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 25.May.2018) ‐- Venezuela’s state oil company PetrĂłleos de Venezuela owes an estimated $1bn to its partners in the CardĂłn IV natural gas project offshore. Gas Energy Latin America partner Antero Alvarado told PetroguĂ­a in interview that Caracas-based PDVSA is accumulating estimated monthly expenses of $60mn […]

PDVSA’s Deterioration on All Fronts

(Energy Analytics Institute, Pietro D. Pitts, 22.May.2017) – In recent weeks PDVSA has reported at least three accidents: Petrotrin oil spill in Sucre state and incidents at its Cardon and Curaçao refineries. The writing on the wall continues to point to a cash-strapped state oil company with an inability to […]

PDVSA Halts Cardon Catalytic Unit

(Energy Analytics Institute, Ian Silverman, 16.May.2017) – PDVSA halted the catalytic cracking unit at the 310,000 barrel-per-day Cardón refinery in Punto Fijo, reported Reuters, citing a worker at the plant and a union official. It is unclear when the unit will be back online. ***

Q&A with PDVSA Refining Director Jesus Luongo

(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 9.Sep.2013) – PDVSA Refining Director Jesus Luongo spoke briefly with Energy Analytics Institute on the sideline of a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela. What follows are excerpts from the brief interview. EAI: What is the processing capacity at Amuay? Luongo: Amuay is processing 445,000 b/d. […]

Amuay Explosion in 2012 Cost PDVSA $1.8 Bln

(Energy Analytics Institute, Ian Silverman, 13.Aug.2013) – The Energy Orientation Center (COENER) announced the Amuay refinery explosion will cost PDVSA $1.8 billion. The explosion at the Amuay refinery was caused by a gas leak at Block B23 and occurred at 1:10am on 25.Aug.2012 and was the largest tragedy to-date to […]

Paraguana Refining Center Running at 717 Mb/d

(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 6.Jul.2013) – With the five distillation plants at Amuay Refinery operating, average processing levels at the Paraguana Refining Center (CRP) were 717,000 b/d in June 2013, announced PDVSA Refining Director Jesus Luongo. The refinery was expected to be processing 736,000 b/d in July 2013. CRP […]