CARACAS, VENEZUELA (By Piero Stewart, Editores Latin Petroleum, 20.Aug.2026, Words: 284) — FETRAENERGÍA denounced alleged labor rights violations affecting NABEP workers in operations carried out under the productive participation contract (CPP) with Petrozamora, specifically on the GP-28 barge, located on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo, in the Bachaquero sector of […]
Tag: Ivan Freites
Opinion: Delcy’s red helmet … “PDVSA es roja rojita”
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA (By Iván Freites Chirino, 15.Feb.2026, Words: 215) — The visit of the US secretary of energy Chris Wright to Venezuela confirms something obvious: our country remains strategic in energy matters. But it also exposes the reality of state-owned PDVSA. The red helmet that [acting president] Delcy Rodríguez wore […]
![Opinion: The [Venezuelan] nationalization of oil is dead, long live capitalism!](https://energy-analytics-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Costa-Oriental-del-Lago.2-1.jpg)
Opinion: The [Venezuelan] nationalization of oil is dead, long live capitalism!
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA (By Iván Freites Chirino, 24.Jan.2026, Words: 414) — The state’s control of the hydrocarbon industry has come to an end, after 51 years of what was known as the nationalization of oil. A regime that calls itself “socialist” changed the concept of the state monopoly over the oil […]
![CRP takeover by the Chinese: this is not a “cuento chino” or “Chinese tale” [charts attached]](https://energy-analytics-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/venezuela-pdvsa-13.jpeg)
CRP takeover by the Chinese: this is not a “cuento chino” or “Chinese tale” [charts attached]
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA (By Piero Stewart, Energy Analytics Institute, 17.May.2025, Words: 528) — This is not a “cuento chino” or “Chinese tale” starring Argentine actor Ricardo Darin. Venezuela has already signed around 13 contracts (see charts below) with Chinese companies from China Concord to China HK among others and more contracts […]
PDVSA’s domestic refineries producing only around 230,000 b/d
CARACAS, VENEZUELA (Piero Stewart, Energy Analytics Institute, 18.Feb.2024, Words: 130) — Venezuela’s state-owned oil giant Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which has a total processing capacity of 1.303 million b/d from its 6 domestic refineries – Amuay, Cardón, Bajo Grande, Puerto la Cruz, El Palito and San Roque – is only […]
Could A Controversial Chevron Deal Be A Prelude To Venezuela’s Oil Renaissance?
(Forbes, 2.Dec.2022) — A video that state-owned oil giant Petróleos de Venezuela posted to its Twitter feed this week shows a jovial meeting between Oil Minister Tarek El Aissami and Javier La Rosa, Chevron’s CVX country head. The clip shows La Rosa arriving at what looks to be Aissami’s offices, the two laughing, […]
NRGBriefs: Venezuela Receives 185 Mbbls from Iran; Pemex, Exxon 1Q:22 Conf. Calls
(Energy Analytics Institute, 25.Apr.2022) — Energy briefs including Venezuela reportedly receiving 185,000 barrels of 29-degree API petroleum from Iran; Pemex plans to host a conference call on 2 May 2022 to discuss its financial and operational results from the 1Q:22; and Exxon Mobil to hold 1Q:22 conference call on 29 […]
NRGBriefs: YPF’s 3Q:21 webcast, PGF’s global notes
(Energy Analytics Institute, 30.Sep.2021) — Energy briefs including Argentina’s YPF announcing details of its 3Q:21 webcast, Petrobras Global Finance B.V. (PGF) on settlement of early redemption of global notes, and refining worker detentions in Venezuela, among other updates. LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN Argentina
LatAm Briefs: Chile’s Green Plans, Venezuelan Oil Output
(Energy Analytics Institute, 29.Jun.2021) — Energy briefs from the Latin America and Caribbean region including: Chile and Germany inking a green hydrogen deal, EP PetroEcuador reaching an agreement with the community of El Edén to lift a 45-day blockage, Venezuela’s oil production averaging around 570,000 barrels per day, and more. […]
Venezuela’s Oil Unions Accuse Govt Of Persecution
(AFP, 23.Dec.2020) — Venezuela’s vital oil industry is failing and the socialist government is feeling the pressure, and now the regime of President Nicolas Maduro is being accused of lashing out at the sector’s unions. In recent months, several union leaders have been arrested, accused of terrorism, sharing confidential information […]
Venezuela Producing Around 450,000 b/d
(Energy Analytics Institute, 1.Dec.2020) — Venezuela is said to be producing around 450,000 barrels per day and exporting more with the assistance of Chinese and Russians companies lifting the South American country’s oil. Production could rise to at least 600,000 b/d in coming months, oil union official Ivan Freites told […]
Venezuela Briefs: Black Mkt Gasoline; Diesel Demand
Energy briefs from Venezuela on prices for black market gasoline reaching $11.36/gal and refineries owned by PDVSA only producing enough diesel to cover 25% of domestic demand.
PDVSA’s Cardon Refinery Halts Operations
(Energy Analytics Institute, 20.Oct.2020) — Petróleos de Venezuela’s Cardon refinery in Punto Fijo has once again halted operations. The stoppage impacts the recently restarted production of gasoline. “Refinery conditions are very worrying and the risk of accidents is very high,” oil union official Ivan Freites said 20 October 2020 in […]
Fuel Shortages Persist Across Venezuela
(Energy Analytics Institute, 10.Oct.2020) — Venezuela continues to suffer from severe shortages of fuel from gasoline to diesel and across the entire country despite the recent arrival of three Iranian tankers with manly gasoline supplies. Fuel shortages continue across the OPEC-member country since the second shipment this year of Iranian […]
Venezuela Producing 345,000 B/D: Oil Official Freites Says
(Energy Analytics Institute, 23.Sep.2020) — Crude oil production in Venezuela, home to arguably the world’s largest oil reserves, has fallen to around 345,000 barrels per day (b/d), according to comments from oil union official Ivan R. Freites. Venezuela’s production is down from around 3.3 million barrels per day (MMb/d) in […]
Venezuela, In Historic Shift, Scales Back Fuel Subsidy
(WSJ, 31.May.2020) — The regime of Nicolás Maduro, grappling with intense gasoline shortages, said it will scale back its longstanding fuel subsidy and privatize service stations, in a significant shift for Venezuelans long accustomed to filling up their cars free of charge. The measures, which take effect on Monday, are […]
PdV Restarts Coker For Export Via Cuba
(Argus, 20.May.2020) — State-owned PdV has partially restarted a 70,000 b/d delayed coker which had been off line for over a year at its 305,000 b/d Cardon refinery, three PdV and oil union officials said. Once the coking unit operations have stabilized, PdV plans to ship the coke to Cuban […]
Venezuela’s Oil Output Falls To Five-month Low
(Reuters, 30.Mar.2020) — Venezuela’s crude production ended last week at around 670,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to documents seen by Reuters and two people with access to output data, the lowest level in five months amid U.S. sanctions and falling global demand. The Orinoco oil belt, Venezuela’s largest producing […]
Guaido Sacks Colombia Envoy, Oil Boss Freites Quits
(Argus, 27.Nov.2019) — Another prominent figure in Venezuela’s US-backed parallel administration has abruptly departed and an oil union leader has quit the main opposition political party in the latest signs of internal discord. In a 26 November letter, self-declared interim president Juan Guaido informed his Colombia envoy Humberto Calderon Berti […]
Venezuela Ships Petcoke Cargo To Cuba
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 25.Nov.2019) — OPEC member country Venezuela reportedly shipped a cargo of petroleum coke to Cuba valued at an estimated $1.7 million, according to sources in Punto Fijo, Venezuela. A cargo of 26,000 metric tons of petcoke was loading onto the Lagonda tanker on 24 Nov. […]
LatAmNRG Briefs and Heard On the Street: Guyana, Venezuela, Chile, Peru
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin and Piero Stewart, 2.Aug.2019) — LatAmNRG briefs and heard on the street related to Sempra Energy’s divestments in South America, Tullow Oil plc’s three well exploration campaign in Guyana, and workers continue to quit work at PDVSA in Punto Fijo due to low salaries and […]
Venezuela’s Hydrocarbon Sector Incurring Weekly Accidents
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 28.Oct.2018) — Petroleum sector accidents and oil spills in Venezuela have become an almost regular occurrence. Between two and three accidents are happening each per week in PDVSA operational areas as well as a similar number of oil spills, reported the daily newspaper El Nacional, […]
Venezuela: Oil Producer’s Slump Reflects Nation’s Decline
(Ft.com, Gideon Long, John Paul Rathbone, 28.Oct.2018) — Gideon Long in Caracas and John Paul Rathbone in Washington October 28, 2018 Print this page 95 In the lobby of the building where Iván Freites works, a photograph of an oil rig covers one wall. Emblazoned across it is the Venezuelan […]
Oil, Electric Sectors to Join Venezuelan Strike
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 23.Jul.2018) – Representatives from trade unions from the oil, electricity, food, education and health sectors announced plans to join a national strike called by opposition political parties, businessmen, unions, churches and other sectors of society in Venezuela. “The governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro […]
Union Official Demands Release of PDVSA Workers
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 23.Jul.2018) – The four workers are being held in detention due to accusations they caused a petroleum spill in the Guarapiche River in Monagas state. Their arrest is “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” reported the daily newspaper El Nacional, citing oil union official […]
PetroChina, Rosneft Leave Venezuela Refining Projects
(Kallanish Energy, 28.Mar.2018) – Chinese and Russian state oil companies PetroChina and Rosneft will not pay the costs of repairing and modernizing Venezuela’s Cardón and Amuay refineries for PDVSA, according to union sources. Ivan Freites, senior official of the Venezuelan Unions Federation of Oil Workers, told local newspaper El Nacional […]
PDVSA to Shut Three of Four Refineries Indefinitely: Platts
(Platts, 22.Mar.2018) – PDVSA is planning to close three of its four large refineries in Venezuela indefinitely due to of lack of crude to process and because the state company does not have enough staff to operate the plants, union sources said Thursday. Refineries: Venezuela’s Cardon, Puerto La Cruz and […]
PDVSA Collective Contract Eliminates 8 Hour Shifts
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 19.Mar.2018) – A new collective contract signed by PDVSA on 14 March 2018 eliminates 8 hour shifts and work lunch rooms, reported the newspaper El Nacional, citing oil union official Iván Freites. Workers will now be required to work 12-hour shifts, said Freites. He added […]
PDVSA’s Domestic Refining Utilization Falls
(Energy Analytics Institute, Aaron Simonsky, 16.Jan.2017) – Refining utilization rates at PDVSA’s six domestic refineries averaged 30.7 percent in 2016 owing to permanent and temporary plant shut downs, and continued problems procuring replacement parts all due to finance issues. PDVSA’s domestic refineries – Amuay, Cardón, Bajo Grande, Puerto la Cruz, […]
PDVSA Falsely Accusing Innocent Workers
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 14.Sep.2015) – PDVSA is falsely accusing innocent workers of smuggling fuel, according to an oil union official. “By falsely accusing innocent PDVSA workers of smuggling diesel and gasoline, the Venezuelan government is trying to cover up the smuggling being carried out by military officials,” oil […]