Petroleos de Venezuela Says Gasoline Deliveries Are Normal
Petroleos de Venezuela SA, South America’s largest oil company, said its production and deliveries of gasoline and other petroleum products are normal even though several domestic refinery units aren’t operating.
Caracas-based Petroleos de Venezuela said in a statement that it’s meeting all delivery obligations. The company said earlier this week that gasoline units at its El Palito refinery were idled last week after a power outage.
“The shutdowns in our refinery circuit haven’t affected deliveries to our clients,” Petroleos de Venezuela Executive Marketing Director Asdrubal Chavez said in a statement.
Petroleos de Venezuela plans to restart El Palito’s catalytic cracker within days. The cracker makes gasoline components.
Former managers of the company claim that refinery outages have increased since a 2002-2003 strike that led Petroleos de Venezuela to fire more than half of its workforce. The strike was intended to force President Hugo Chavez from office.
