Lates News

Eight people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday that Venezuela's Cardon refinery, the country's second-largest with a processing capacity of 310,000 barrels per day, has suspended operations due to a fire at one of its processing units. Fires, power interruptions and blackouts occur frequently at facilities operated by state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, potentially affecting domestic market supply of basic fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Two of the sources said the fire began in a gas pipeline connected to the refinery's diesel hydrotreating unit, forcing the entire facility, including boilers, to shut down. According to the people familiar with the matter and nearby residents, the fire was extinguished less than an hour after an explosion and evacuations. No worker injuries have been reported so far.