PDVSA Curacao La Isla refinery catalytic cracker unit restarts

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 By: David Coleman

A principal catalytic cracker at the Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) leased La Isla refinery in Curacao has been restarted for the first time since the abortive 2-month stoppage which forced its shutdown ... in the initial phase it has begun producing 42,000 barrels of gasoline a day, according to general manager Noberto Chaclin and is scheduled to reach full 60,000 barrels a day capacity of in just two weeks.

The refinery had begun producing 120,000 bpd in January but was unable to reach full capacity because the cracker was down and repairs were inhibited by political opposition efforts to sabotage Venezuela's vital oil industry in a fruitless effort to depose democratically-elected President Hugo Chavez Frias.

PDVSA president Ali Rodriguez Araque has also revealed that Venezuela's oil production reached 3 million bpd over the weekend, close to pre-stoppage levels while Energy & Mines (MEM) Minister Rafael Ramirez says Venezuela is ready to resume production at full 3.4 million bpd capacity to make up for shortages in international markets.