Explosion and Fire at Venezuelan Oil Facilities + Video

According to the English section‍ of‌ webangah⁣ News Agency, ⁢citing⁢ Mehr News Agency and Reuters, local media and sources from Venezuela’s state oil company ⁢PDVSA have confirmed a fire broke out at an oil project in eastern Venezuela.The site is operated by Petrocedeno,⁤ a heavy⁢ crude ‍upgrading company active in that area.

Heavy crude upgrading companies along the Orinoco Belt-a ⁢key‌ region for Venezuela’s oil⁢ production-play‍ a ⁢crucial role ⁢in converting the country’s extra-heavy crude into exportable petroleum products.

An employee near the incident reported hearing an explosion close to Petrocedeno’s distillation tower ⁣just before the fire started.

According to​ another⁢ source, the fire may have spread ⁢to another nearby plant.

Reuters reported⁤ that PDVSA ‍officials dispatched safety ‌teams, firefighters, and‍ several ambulances promptly⁣ to contain the blaze.

No⁤ official statement has yet been released regarding damages or casualties resulting from the incident.