The swap deal with Iran is a first step in raising fuel production, but without massive investments needed to revamp the entire oil sector in Venezuela, gasoline and distillates production isn’t going anywhere. Industry experts have estimated that PDVSA needs around $60 billion to reinvigorate and upgrade its decades-old refineries. Even if the state-owned company would start to invest in the renovation of its refinery complexes right now, it would take a long time to attract skilled personnel, improve health and safety practices and working conditions and restore production. In the meantime, the gasoline and diesel shortage is set to continue, keeping Venezuela dependent on foreign fuel supplies. By Jose Luis Chalhoub. Full Text-> Oilprice.com

Traducción de cortesía -> El acuerdo de intercambio con Irán es un primer paso para aumentar la producción de combustible, pero sin las inversiones masivas necesarias para renovar todo el sector petrolero en Venezuela, la producción de gasolina y destilados no irá a ninguna parte. Los expertos de la industria han estimado que PDVSA necesita alrededor de $ 60 mil millones para revitalizar y actualizar sus refinerías de hace décadas. Incluso si la empresa estatal comenzara a invertir en la renovación de sus complejos de refinería en este momento, llevaría mucho tiempo atraer personal calificado, mejorar las prácticas de salud y seguridad y las condiciones laborales y restaurar la producción. Mientras tanto, la escasez de gasolina y diésel continuará, lo que mantendrá a Venezuela dependiente del suministro de combustible extranjero.

A Monday report by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said that Oil Minister Javad Owji had signed major energy deals with authorities in Venezuela and Nicaragua during his recent visits to the two countries. Full Text-> PressTV

Traducción de cortesía -> Un informe del lunes de la agencia de noticias semioficial Fars de Irán dijo que el ministro de Petróleo, Javad Owji, había firmado importantes acuerdos energéticos con las autoridades de Venezuela y Nicaragua durante sus recientes visitas a los dos países.

Traducción al español -> Google Translación

Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA has started producing two upgraded crude grades for domestic refining, aiming at reanimating the country’s much-needed output of motor fuels, according to a company document and sources close the decision. Full Text-> HellenicShippingNews

 Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela has halted operations at the Petropiar crude upgrader after a fire at the Amana Operating Center (COA) cut off gas supply, according to a document seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The plant, located near the Jose oil terminal in eastern Venezuela and part of a joint venture with Chevron Corp CVX.N, is crucial for converting extra heavy crude from Venezuela’s Orinoco oil belt into exportable grades. By Mircely Guanipa, Deisy Buitrago. Full Text -> Nasdaq

Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela has halted operations at its 310,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Cardon refinery due to problems with crude supply, four people familiar with the matter said this week. Two of the people said the crude supply shortage arose due to problems at a pipeline supplying crude to the plant. Cardon was the only PDVSA refinery producing gasoline in the OPEC country, which has been suffering fuel shortages over the past year due to underinvestment and mismanagement at PDVSA’s 1.3 million bpd refining network, and more recently US sanctions aimed at ousting President Nicolas Maduro. Full Text-> BusinessRecorder

Venezuelan state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela has restarted gasoline output at the 146,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) El Palito refinery, two people familiar with the matter said this week. The plant had halted output last Friday but restarted over the weekend, producing some 35,000 bpd, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. By Tibisay Romero Merely Guanioa. Full Text -> Nasdaq

An investigation into the attack has been launched, he added. According to a report on the event by ABC News, Maduro went on to say that the country’s security authorities had detained two foreign nationals just a day earlier. The foreigners had ties to extremist groups, Maduro also said, but did not go into any further detail. By Charles Kennedy. Full Text -> OilPrice

Maduro also said two foreigners were detained prior to the alleged attack on Tuesday that toppled a large tower at the Amuay Refinery on Venezuela’s northern Caribbean coast. He did not name the two people detained or give their nationality. Full Text -> DailyIndependent

Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela PDVSA.UL on Tuesday halted gasoline output at the reformer unit of its 310,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Cardon refinery, just a day after production restarted, two people familiar with the matter said. By Deisy Buitrago, Mircely Guanipa. Full Text -> Reuters

he shortage of gasoline in the Venezuelan market has worsened in September, according to a technical report reviewed by S&P Global Platts. Venezuela’s 955,000 b/d Paraguana Refining Center (CRP) was operating at 145,000 b/d, or 15.2% of capacity, with two of nine distillers in operation, said a technical report dated on Sept. 6. By Mery Mogollón. Full Text-> S&PGlobal