According to “La Tabla” investigative website, after maintenance work on the Cardón #CRP refinery that restored catalytic cracking plants to operation, the start-up protocol for that area of the complex, the most important in Venezuela, began over the weekend, explained an expert familiar with the work.
#Cardón Tras labores de mantenimiento en la refinería Cardón #CRP que devolvieron operatividad a plantas de craqueo catalítico, se inició el fin de semana el protocolo de arranque de esa área del complejo, el más importante de Venezuela, explicó experto conocedor de trabajos. pic.twitter.com/QGbK9oh7TQ
— La Tabla (@latablablog) June 9, 2020
The resuming of operations has been possible because one of the fundamental components, the alkylate, was sent by Iran in a tanker convoy that arrived in recent days. Due to the serious damage to the facilities — at this moment — and being of very high risk, the alkylation process will not be carried out right now.
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Cardón is the second refinery that Venezuela has been able to restart in the last 20 days, since the El Palito refinery started operating at 30% capacity. The work in Paraguaná (by #PDVSA personnel) is supported by experts from Iran and a “technological reconfiguration” is on the way.
#Licenses: The technology used in Cardón and Amuay (next in the resuming plan) is of US origin and its components and inputs such as catalysts and other chemicals are covered by licenses from #USA suppliers, so the impact of the blockade is very harmful.
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In addition, much of the key equipment is unique for each refinery, making it very difficult to evade the blockade when going to the global market to look for parts whose final destination, inescapably, will be a @PDVSA installation in Venezuela.
“La Tabla’s” source, an oil expert, clarified that the blockade restricts access to components and spare parts but it is not the only cause of the enormous deterioration registered, due also to inefficiency and corruption accumulated over more than 10 years in PDVSA. But he expressed confidence that the recovery of the refining complex will be successful.
Translated and edited by JRE/EF
