A massive explosion and fire struck the Petrocedeño crude upgrading plant in eastern Venezuela on Wednesday, November 19, marking the second major incident this month at the critical facility and highlighting the perilous state of the country’s oil infrastructure.
The incident occurred in the afternoon at the José Antonio Anzoátegui petrochemical complex, located in the heart of Venezuela’s Orinoco belt.
According to sources cited by Reuters and local media, the explosion went off near the facility’s distillation tower.
The fire could have spread to a nearby naphtha plant, raising concerns about a cascading emergency.
Faced with the situation, emergency teams from the national oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA), which operates the project, quickly launched a large-scale evacuation of personnel from the site.
Ambulances were seen rushing to the complex, although authorities have not yet confirmed any injuries or deaths.
PDVSA teams managed to contain the fire late in the evening.
The incident hits a vital part of Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy.
Crude upgraders such as Petrocedeño are crucial to converting the country’s vast reserves of extra-heavy crude into exportable grades.
Repeated fires at such a key facility demonstrate the serious vulnerabilities caused by years of underinvestment, poor maintenance and the chilling effect of international sanctions.
This is the second fire to strike the Petrocedeño upgrader in June alone, highlighting the major operational and safety challenges facing PDVSA as it struggles to revive its oil industry.
