HOUSTON, TEXAS (By Pietro D. Pitts, Energy Analytics Institute, 1.May.2026, Words: 221) — Chevron Corporation CEO Mike Wirth said his company continues to leverage its “deep expertise and long-standing position to create an option for the future.” A case in point was a recently announced asset swap with state-owned PDVSA, which […]
Tag: Petropiar
Chevron inks new agreements to boost production, social income in VenezuelaÂ
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA (By Piero Stewart, Energy Analytics Institute, 13.Apr.2026, Words: 167) — Venezuela’s interim president Delcy RodrĂguez led a meeting at Miraflores Palace to sign agreements between state-owned PetrĂłleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and Chevron Corporation with the goal of consolidating a comprehensive energy agenda. The meeting focused on strengthening […]
Delcy and US energy secretary Chris Wright tour Petropiar facilities in Venezuela
HOUSTON, TEXAS (By Pietro D. Pitts, Energy Analytics Institute, 12.Feb.2026, Words: 214) — Venezuela’s acting president Delcy RodrĂguez toured the Petropiar joint venture upgrading facilities of the Venezuelan state-owned oil company PetrĂłleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and Chevron Corporation, accompanied by US secretary of energy Chris Wright and Venezuelan petrochemical industry officials. […]
IOCs built 4 upgraders in Venezuela in the 1990s, only PetroPiar continues to produce
HOUSTON, TEXAS (By Pietro D. Pitts, Energy Analytics Institute, 4.Jun.2025, Words: 343) — In the 1990s, international oil companies (IOCs) from Chevron Corporation and ExxonMobil Corporation to Equinor (then Statoil) led construction of 4 integrated projects to upgrade Venezuela’s extra-heavy crude oil (EHCO) located in the country’s vast Orinoco heavy […]
PDVSA and Chevron oversee Petropiar safety operations
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA (Piero Stewart, Energy Analytics Institute, 29.Feb.2024, Words: 140) — Executives with state-owned PetrĂłleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and Chevron Venezuela supervised safety operations at the PDVSA Petropiar, S.A. joint venture as part of scheduled visits slated for 2024. Executives participating included the president of the board of directors […]
Venezuela: Nov. Oil Output Rises To 660 Mb/d
(S&P Global Platts, 30.Nov.2021) — Oil production by Venezuela’s state PDVSA and its foreign partners rose to 660,000 b/d in November, up 40,000 b/d from October, Nov. 30 PDVSA production reports reviewed by S&P Global Platts showed. Orinoco Belt output rose to 420,000 b/d, up 40,000 b/d from the 380,000 […]
Venezuela Adapts To US sanctions With Rising Oil Flow
(Argus, 3.Nov.2021) — Venezuela is cranking up oil production in a reflection of the Opec country’s moderate success in adapting to operational constraints imposed by prolonged US sanctions. Output has surpassed 600,000 b/d as PdV incorporates Iranian condensate to help dilute extra-heavy crude from the Orinoco oil belt, which is now […]
Venezuela Resorts To Upgraded Oil For Refineries
(Reuters, 8.Jul.2021) — Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA has started producing two upgraded crude grades for domestic refining, aiming at reanimating the country’s much-needed output of motor fuels, according to a company document and sources close the decision. Years of under-investment in PDVSA’s 1.3 million-barrel-per-day capacity refining network and U.S. […]
PetroPiar and Sinovensa restart blending activities
CARACAS, VENEZUELA (Piero Stewart, Energy Analytics Institute, 8.Oct.2020, Words: 81) — Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has reportedly restarted the PetroPiar and Sinovensa blending units, according to reports from local Venezuelan media El Nacional. The first joint venture, PetroPiar, which partners PDVSA and Chevron Corp., is reportedly […]
Wave Of Venezuelan Oil Stalled At Sea
(Argus, 10.Jun.2020) — Vessel tracking data shows a fleet of 44 international tankers on the water holding 40.5mn bl of Venezuelan oil as shipowners face growing risk of US sanctions for transporting cargoes to and from the country. The tankers, which include 13 very large crude carriers (VLCCs), 12 Suezmaxes, […]
PdV Rolls Out New JV Presidents
(Argus, 4.May.2020) — Venezuela’s state-owned PdV rolled out the appointment of up to 26 new presidents of joint ventures that are mostly inactive. The appointments, some of whom may have been carryovers, are the latest manifestation of an industry shake-up led by new acting oil minister Tareck El Aissami. El […]
Chevron’s Venezuela Oil JVs Cut Fieldwork
(Reuters, 31.Mar.2020) — Chevron Corp’s joint ventures with Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela have cancelled service contracts and procurement processes in recent weeks, three people with knowledge of the matter said. Prices for many Latin American crude grades fell this week to the lowest in more than two […]
PetroPar Launches Free Alcohol Initiative
(Energy Analytics Institute, Ian Silverman, 14.Mar.2020) — Paraguay’s state oil company PetroPar launched an initiative to provide free alcohol at its petrol stations across the South American country for use for cleaning surfaces. The alcohol can be used daily to disinfect and cleans surfaces as part of preventive measures to […]
Pipeline Blast Halts PetroPiar
(Argus, 10.Mar.2020) — Venezuelan state-owned PdV’s PetroPiar joint venture with Chevron suspended upgrading operations following a pipeline explosion early today, three oil workers at the facility tell Argus. The plant has since resumed partial operations and is slowly ramping back up to an unspecified level. Sulfur and hydrogen processing units […]
PDVSA PetroPiar President Eyes Higher Output
(Energy Analytics Institute, Aaron Simonsky, 24.Jan.2020) — PDVSA PetroPiar President Gabriel Carmona and executives from the mixed company’s management team help meetings to discuss ways to accelerate administrative and operational processes related to the company’s Operational Bare Center (COB) and San Remo. The meetings addressed ways to increase PetroPiar’s oil […]
PDVSA’s Partners As Oil Traders Amid Sanctions
(Reuters, 13.Jan.2020) — Venezuela, its oil exports decimated by U.S. sanctions, is testing a new method of getting its crude to market: allocating cargoes to joint-venture partners including Chevron Corp, which in turn market the oil to customers in Asia and Africa. This would not violate sanctions as long as […]
PDVSA, Chevron Turn Oil Blender Back Into upgrader
(Reuters, 3.Jan.2020) — Venezuela’s Petropiar facility, a joint venture between state oil company PDVSA and Chevron Corp, is once again operating as a crude upgrader after several months working as a less complex blending facility, according to a document seen by Reuters and a source with knowledge of the matter. […]
PDVSA, Partners Produce 500,000 b/d Of Orinoco Crude
(S&P Global Platts, 17.Dec.2019) — Production levels by Venezuelan state-owned PDVSA and its international partners in the Orinoco Belt rose to 500,000 b/d, or 38.5% of its 1.3 million b/d maximum capacity, up from 435,000 b/d November 4, according to a technical report S&P Global Platts saw Tuesday. Highlights: — […]
Venezuela Oil Output Rises
(Reuters, 10.Dec.2019) — Venezuela’s crude output in November jumped more than 20% from the prior month to the highest level since the United States tightened sanctions on state oil company PDVSA in August, two people with knowledge of PDVSA data said this week. November output averaged between 926,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) […]
Chevron Venezuela’s Exit To Aid Putin’s Russia
(S&P Global Platts, Brian Scheid and Rosemary Griffin, 17.Oct.2019) — Chevron is pushing back against the Trump administration’s plans to let the company’s Venezuela sanctions waiver expire, arguing such a move could ultimately drive oil production up, bolstering both the Maduro regime and Russia’s standing in the global market. “It’d […]
Venezuelan Oil Output Could Be Halved Without Chevron Waiver
(S&P Global Platts, Brian Scheid, 14.Oct.2019) — Venezuelan oil production, already averaging a historic low near 600,000 b/d, could quickly plummet below 300,000 b/d if the Trump administration allows a waiver for Chevron and four US oil services companies to expire next week, analysts told S&P Global Platts. “I think […]
Venezuelan Oil Exports At Lowest Level In 2019
(Reuters, Marianna Parraga, Mircely Guanipa, 3.Sep.2019) — Venezuela’s oil exports fell in August to their lowest level in 2019, internal reports and Refinitiv Eikon data showed, hurt by a halt in purchases by the nation’s second largest customer, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), following tougher U.S. sanctions. Overall exports of […]
Venezuela Oil Exports Slid 17.5% In July-Data
(Reuters, Marianna Parraga, 1.Aug.2019) — Venezuela’s oil exports fell 17.5% in July to their second-lowest level since Washington imposed sanctions on the nation as state-run PDVSA finds fewer customers to take its oil, according to internal data from the company and Refinitiv Eikon. PDVSA and its partners exported a total […]
Petropiar JV starts blending
(Reuters, 29.Jul.2019, Words: 316) — Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA said on Monday the Petropiar extra-heavy crude upgrader, part-owned by U.S. oil company Chevron Corp, had begun operations as a blending facility. The facility, which used to produce upgraded crude destined mainly for the U.S. market, is expected to produce […]
Chevron In Crosshairs As Trump Exerts Maximum Pressure On Maduro
(Bloomberg, Kevin Crowley, Lucia Kassai and Kevin Cirilli, 25.Jul.2019) — Pressure is mounting on U.S. President Donald Trump to end Chevron Corp.’s 100-year presence in Venezuela as he seeks to exert maximum pressure on the embattled regime of Nicolas Maduro. Trump will announce his decision on whether to grant the U.S. […]
Guaido Says To Protect Chevron Assets In Venezuela
(Reuters, Luc Cohen) — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Tuesday he would seek to protect Chevron Corp’s assets in the country if the United States does not renew a license allowing the company to operate despite sanctions on the OPEC nation’s oil sector. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, […]
Sanctions Squeeze Venezuela’s EHCO Output
(Petroleum Economist, 18.Jul.2019) — Latin America’s economically troubled oil giant faces the difficult task of significantly raising Asian crude grades. Venezuela’s upgraders have been forced to stop upgrading extra-heavy crude and instead focus on blending light and heavy grades, as US sanctions limit exports of the South American country’s most […]
PdV To Tap Fractionator To Replace Imported Naphtha
(Argus, 9.Jul.2019) — Venezuela’s national oil company PdV is seeking to adapt its infrastructure to cope with a shortage of imported naphtha that is hindering heavy crude production and exports. The company said it plans to build two small pipelines at its Jose industrial complex to supply its 210,000 b/d […]
Chevron Seeks Relief From Trump’s Venezuela Oil Sanctions
(Bloomberg, Fabiola Zerpa, Peter Millard and Kevin Crowley, 2.Jul.2019) — Chevron Corp. is lobbying the U.S. for sanctions relief so it can continue doing business in oil-rich Venezuela where President Donald Trump has been pushing for regime change. Chevron executives have been telling local staff that the company expects waivers […]
Venezuela’s Oil Industry Implosion Reaches Chevron
(Oilprice.com, Tsvetana Paraskova, 25.Apr.2019) — Massive blackouts in Venezuela in March and April have drastically reduced oil production at Chevron’s biggest oil joint venture in the country, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing data that it had compiled from company sources. Chevron holds a 30-percent stake in Petropiar, a joint venture […]
Lights Dimming On Big Oil In Venezuela
(Argus, Patricia Garip, 10.Apr.2019) — Darkness has befallen Venezuela in more than one sense, and incumbent oil companies are scrambling for a ray of light. It was hard enough for western oil companies to operate in Venezuela before the lights went out in March. Now it is nearing impossible, at […]
Chevron Stayed In Venezuela Long After Rivals Quit
(Wall Street Journal, Kejal Vyas and Bradley Olson, 8.Nov.2018) — For nearly a century, Chevron Corp. has weathered dictatorships, coups and nationalization drives to keep pumping oil in Venezuela. But recently, executives at the last U.S. oil major in the country have debated whether it may be time to get out, […]
PdV, Joint Ventures Miss Oil Targets
(Argus, 9.Aug.2018) – Venezuela’s state-owned PdV and its joint ventures fell short of officially targeted crude production by more than 125,000 b/d in July, according to an internal PdV upstream report obtained by Argus. The steepest shortfalls were registered in the Orinoco heavy oil belt — long touted by the […]
PetroPiar Ends Preventative Maintenance
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 3.Jul.2018) – Work on the upgrader concluded four days ahead of schedule, according to Caracas-based PDVSA. Operational activities at the upgrader included substitutions in the naphtha and light vacuum gas oil (LVGO) lines, maintenance of interchangers, internal drum replacements (Demister), and replacements related to the […]
Venezuela’s Petropiar upgrader begins restart
(Reuters, 26.Jun.2018) – Venezuela’s PDVSA and Chevron have begun to restart their 210,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Petropiar heavy crude upgrader after a nearly month-long, repair-related shutdown and a fire, according to the state-run company and two sources close to the facility. Venezuela’s crude upgraders, which can convert near 700,000 bpd of extra-heavy […]
PdV Restarting PetroPiar Upgrader
(Argus, 26.Jun.2018) – Venezuelan state-owned PdV is restarting its 210,000 b/d PetroPiar upgrader this week after completing month-long repairs, PdV and energy ministry officials said. Chevron, which has a 30pc stake in Petropiar, is “working closely” with PdV to restart the facility, the PdV executive said. Chevron regularly declines to […]
PDVSA Controls Fire at PetroPiar Furnace
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 26.Jun.2018) – The early morning incident occurred at the JosĂ© Antonio Anzoátegui Industrial Complex (CIJAA) in Barcelona, Venezuela. The fire occurred at the hydro processing unit furnace 14 F-001, announced PDVSA in an official statement. The PetroPiar joint venture upgrades crude oil from the Hugo […]
Venezuela’s Oil Meltdown Defies Belief
(Nick Cunningham, OilPrice.com, 6.Jun.2018) — Venezuela might have to declare force majeure on its oil exports as production plunges and its ports are unable to ship enough crude. The ongoing meltdown in Venezuela’s oil sector could tighten the oil market more than expected. Reuters reported Tuesday that Venezuela is considering […]
Venezuela Seeks Disqualification of ICSID Judges
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 26.Mar.2015) – Venezuela presented a letter to the ICSID court requesting the dismissal of judge Kenneth Keith. Keith is the president of the arbitration tribunal in the case brought to the court by ConocoPhillips in its wrongful expropriation case against the government of Venezuela which […]