Venezuela Completes First Phase of Dredging at Lake Maracaibo (+Oil Production)

With the purpose of strengthening the country’s aquatic sector, Venezuela’s National Institute of Canalization (Incanal) successfully completed the first phase of its plan to bolster navigation in the Lake Maracaibo Lake, the Minister of Transportation Ramón Velásquez Araguayán announced.

Since December 2022, Chevron and other oil producing agents have complained about difficulties navigating the waters of the lake and its impact on oil-related operation and production.

A dredge is often needed to clean out the bed of water areas by scooping out mud, weeds, and waste so that vessels can travel. Shallow waters in the channel caused a non-Chevron-related vessel carrying scrap metal go aground. Since then, Petroboscan, a PDVSA joint venture with Chevron, has instructed vessels to limit their draft after loading at the Bajo Grande oil terminal in Lake Maracaibo.

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Through his social media accounts, Velásquez Araguayán emphasized that these actions undertaken to boost Venezuela’s aquatic sector are in line with national policy to “do more with less” after the illegal US and European blockade in their failed attempt to oust him.

“Doing more with less, as requested by President Nicolas Maduro, the National Institute of Canalizations successfully culminated the first phase of the Aid Plan for the navigation of the Maracaibo Lake channel, giving a push to the aquatic sector,” wrote Minister Velásquez.

Haciendo ➕ con ➖ como lo instruyó el Presidente @NicolasMaduro, el Instituto Nacional de Canalizaciones culminó con éxito la 1era fase del Plan de ayuda para la navegación del canal del Lago de Maracaibo, potenciando el Sector Acuático. ¡Venceremos!#PatriaProductiva pic.twitter.com/oZ4nQMJJY0
— Ramón Celestino Velásquez Araguayán (@rvaraguayan) June 21, 2023

Progress in signaling system
A video published by Minister Velásquez Araguayán highlights the work being carried out by Incanal, “determined to continue promoting actions to strengthen the country’s” navigation sector.

Incanal, as part of the plan for the recovery of the Lake Maracaibo navigation channel signaling system, placed 21 buoys, model 1.0, of the registered trademark Boyaven, in the Los Puertos de Altagracia-Bajo Grande section.

“It is important to highlight that this beaconing operation, which initially covers 33.21 kilometers, aims to provide greater safety in navigation to the users of this important and strategic lake route in the region in addition to contributing significantly to the increase in economic activity and the import and export of goods, products, and services, in favor of the people,” Incanal wrote.

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Boyaven Signals: Venezuelan cutting-edge technology
It should be noted that the Boyaven signals were designed, manufactured, and assembled with state-of-the-art technology and 100% Venezuelan talent, “thanks to the combined efforts of a multidisciplinary team from Incanal and private enterprise, thus breaking the chains of the imperial blockade imposed on the nation,” explained Incanal.

These actions carried out by Incanal are aimed at fulfilling the mandate of President Maduro’s administration and the seven lines of work of the Bolivarian government, which call for the strengthening of national production and the development of the country’s productive chain.

Small tankers coming from Bajo Grande are moving Venezuela’s western crude oil to a ship-to-ship transfer area along the country’s coast, where they fill larger vessels.

(Últimas Noticias) by Janna Corredor, with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/SL