A serious industrial accident occurred at the Muscar gas complex in Venezuela, causing major consequences for the national energy infrastructure. The explosion, followed by a fire, destroyed a network of gas pipelines and high-pressure pipes essential for the processing and transport of hydrocarbons in the country.
According to a preliminary report from Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), this disaster affected several key facilities, including the associated gas storage and processing center of the oil fields in northern Monagas state. These fields, like Punta de Mata and El Furrial, produce up to 150,000 barrels per day of light oil, used in particular to dilute extra-heavy crude from the Orinoco belt.
Impact on oil production
Upstream production in the Punta de Mata and El Furrial oil zones has been significantly compromised. Damaged facilities include pipelines carrying high-pressure gas to liquid extraction plants and strategic compressors. The accident thus disrupted the supply of light crude used to dilute extra-heavy oil, essential to local refineries.
A PDVSA official, who requested anonymity, described the accident as “catastrophic”. The explosion directly impacted production in the Orinoco belt, forcing PDVSA to drastically reduce oil production volumes, pending emergency measures to mitigate the effects of the accident.
Impacts on gas supply
The Muscar complex plays a crucial role in the national energy supply. It supplies about 65% of the country's natural gas, or between 850 million and 1 billion cubic feet per day before the incident. After the explosion, gas production associated with oil in the Oriente fields fell 78 percent, from 2.3 billion to just 500 million cubic feet per day.
This decline has paralyzed several industrial and energy facilities in the states of Anzoátegui, Sucre and Nueva Esparta. Among the infrastructure affected are gas-fired power plants, the Jose petrochemical complex, as well as the Metor I, Metor II and Fertinitro plants. In addition, gas supplies to companies based in the Guayana region were interrupted.
Issues and envisaged solutions
PDVSA is currently focusing its efforts on debris clearance and damage assessment. The company is also considering temporary solutions, such as installing portable flares to burn gas associated with unprocessed oil. However, rebuilding the infrastructure will require significant work, including replacing pipelines and rehabilitating electronic and instrumental systems.
Prospects for a rapid recovery remain uncertain. The accident highlights the fragility of Venezuela's energy infrastructure and the systemic impact a major incident can have on the economy and essential services.
