A fire broke out Wednesday at the Petrocedeño crude upgrader in Venezuela‘s oil-rich Orinoco Belt, following reports of an explosion at the facility [[1]]. The incident at the state-owned PDVSA project-a key component in converting Venezuela’s extra-heavy crude into exportable products-prompted worker evacuations adn a response from local emergency services [[2]]. As of Wednesday evening, no injuries have been reported.
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A fire erupted Wednesday afternoon at the Petrocedeño oil processing plant in Anzoátegui state, Venezuela, following an explosion, according to sources with Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the state-owned oil company. The incident occurred at a key facility within Venezuela’s oil production infrastructure.
Reuters reported that flames and a plume of smoke were visible near a distillation tower, part of the plant’s oil upgrading facilities. The plant is located in the Faja del Orinoco, Venezuela’s primary oil-producing region, and plays a critical role in converting the country’s heavy crude oil into exportable petroleum products.
As a precautionary measure, workers were evacuated from the complex following the blast, Reuters said. Local media outlets also reported that emergency services were dispatched to the scene.
As of Wednesday evening, no injuries had been reported.
CNN has reached out to the Anzoátegui state government and PDVSA for further information regarding the incident and is awaiting a response.
