By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Apr. 24 -- Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) has resumed operation of the atmospheric distillation unit (DA-2) at its Puerto La Cruz refinery in eastern Venezuela. Currently, the refinery is processing 170,000 b/d.
The DA-2 unit, used to prepare shipments for delivery to Phillips Petroleum Co., now ConocoPhillips, was shut down when PDVSA declared force majeure after the Dec. 2, 2002 strike that disrupted Venezuela's oil industry operations.
A new agreement is being negotiated with ConocoPhillips, and PDVSA expects this month to resume deliveries to ConocoPhillips, which is scheduled to receive more than a million bbl of crude oil at the Guaraguao maritime terminal.