Fire shuts distillation unit at PDVSA Amuay refinery in Venezuela

20 January 2012 16:01  [Source: ICIS news]

BOGOTA (ICIS)--Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) shut down a distillation unit at its Amuay refinery because of a fire, a source at the oil workers union said on Friday.

The distillation unit processes about 72,000 barrels/day and produces diesel fuel and feed for other units at the refinery, including the delayed coking unit, the flexicoker and a catalytic plant, which produces high-octane fuel, a union source said.

The distillation unit will be shut down until the cause of the fire can be determined.

The fire started early on Friday in the complex's distillation unit, after a crude pipeline broke and struck a steam line, a source at the United Federation of Oil Workers of Venezuela (FUTPV) said.

Firefighters have since brought the blaze under control, the source said.

Amuay is part of the Paraguana Refining Complex, which has the capacity to process 940,000 bbl/day. The complex also includes the Cardon and Bajo Grande refineries.

Calls to PDVSA were unanswered.

By: Leela Landress
+1 713 525 2653

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