Update: Fire extinguished at Venezuelan oil upgrader, operations halted
A large fire was extinguished on Thursday at a Venezuelan crude upgrader operated by PDVSA, the state-run company said, but operations remain halted while workers began inspections, according to three sources with knowledge of the incident.
Incidents and outages are frequent within PDVSA's aging infrastructure, including oilfields, refineries and upgraders that are key to turning the country's extra heavy oil output into exportable crude grades.
The fire, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon, damaged a distillation tower and nearby infrastructure, the sources said.
PDVSA confirmed the incident in a press release on Thursday, adding that there were no injuries to workers or damage to nearby communities, and that the country's overall production is not expected to be affected as contingency plans were activated.
"An investigation committee has been ordered to determine the causes of the incident," it said.
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