PdV refinery roller coaster heads back up

The roller coaster of Venezuelan state-owned PdV's campaign to restart gasoline production is heading up again, but stable output at official specifications remains elusive.

At the 305,000 b/d Cardon refinery, PdV is currently producing about 20,000 b/d of gasoline after resuming operations at an 86,000 b/d fluid catalytic cracker over the weekend.

But the gasoline is only 83-octane, well short of Venezuela's official 91 and 95-octane grades.

A PdV manager at the CRP complex, which includes Cardon and the 635,000 b/d Amuay refinery in Falcon state, told Argus that gasoline production would double to 40,000 b/d by the end of this week.

Three union officials at the CRP, including a repair crew supervisor, confirmed the manager's figures.

"The FCC is operational again, but we are not certain there will not be more equipment breakdowns as volumes are gradually increased this week," the repair crew supervisor said.

The CRP is also producing about 20,000 b/d of diesel after the CD-1 distillation unit was restarted at the end of last week, processing about 50,000 b/d of 23°-26°API crude.

Amuay's CD-4 distillation unit has also resumed operations, taking in about 70,000 b/d of medium-quality crude.

Cardon's naphtha reformer is still undergoing repairs but PdV hopes to restart the unit by next week, the PdV manager said.

Two union officials at the 140,000 b/d El Palito refinery in Carabobo state dismissed PdV assertions that the plant was also producing gasoline following repairs to a 61,500 b/d FCC there.

The FCC, distillation unit and the pipeline grids associated with both units "are still very unstable," one of the union officials said.

"When operators try to push more oil through these units, we are recording vibrations, gas and oil leaks including more spillage into the sea because the heat exchangers have not been repaired properly."

Venezuela's acute gasoline shortage is reflected in huge lines of vehicles at the few service stations still offering supply.

The government of President Nicolas Maduro routinely blames US sanctions for thwarting equipment repairs and impeding imports, including possible inbound shipments from Iran.