An explosion and subsequent fire occurred โWednesday at teh Petrocedeรฑo oil processing plant inโ Venezuela‘s โขAnzoรกteguiโ state, Reuters reported, citing sources within Petrรณleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), โฃthe state-owned oil company to which Petrocedeรฑo โคbelongs. Workers were evacuated as a precaution, and emergency services responded to the scene. No injuries have been reported soโ far.
The incident at โthe plant, located in the Orinoco Belt – Venezuela’sโ primary oil-producing region – is significant because Petrocedeรฑo playsโค a crucial role in upgrading โขVenezuela’s heavyโค crude oil into a form suitable โขfor export. Disruptions to this process could impact theโค country’s oil productionโ and export capacity, particularly as Venezuela seeks to increase revenue through oil sales. CNN has reached โขout to the Government of Anzoรกtegui and PDVSA for further details.
The explosion took place in theโ afternoon, generating flames and a column of smoke visible nearโค a distillation โtower โคwithin the oil upgrading complex.โข The affected plant is vital โขfor processing crude oil from the Orinoco โขBelt. โ
Local media reported the arrival of โฃemergencyโข services to contain the fire and assess โthe damage.Asโค of wednesday evening, authorities had not yet released a statement regarding the cause of the โฃexplosion or the extent of the damage.