A massive explosion and blaze hit the Petrocedeño crude upgrader in eastern Venezuela on Wednesday, November 19, marking the second major incident at the critical facility this month and underscoring the perilous state of the country’s oil infrastructure.
The incident occurred in the afternoon at the José Antonio Anzoátegui Petrochemical Complex, located in the heart of Venezuela's Orinoco Belt.
As per sources cited by Reuters and local media, the explosion ignited near the facility’s distillation tower.
The fire was reported to have potentially spread to a nearby naphtha plant, raising concerns of a cascading emergency.
Responding to the situation, the emergency teams from state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), which operates the project, swiftly started a large-scale evacuation of personnel from the site.
Ambulances were seen rushing to the complex, though officials have not yet confirmed any injuries or fatalities.
PDVSA crews managed to contain the blaze by late evening.
The incident strikes at a core component of Venezuela’s petroleum dependent economy.
Crude upgraders such as Petrocedeño are crucial for converting the country’s vast reserves of extra-heavy crude into exportable grades.
The repeated blazes at such a key facility signifies the severe vulnerabilities caused by years of underinvestment, insufficient maintenance, and the crippling effect of international sanctions.
This is the second fire to hit the Petrocedeño upgrader in June alone, highlighting a major ongoing operational and safety challenges plaguing PDVSA as it struggles to revive its oil industry.