May
6, 2004
Vhicoa pumps US$22mn into Deltana
shipyard
(BNamericas.com) - "Venezuelan steel
structure manufacturer Vhicoa is investing US$22mn
to build a shipyard on the Orinoco river for the
Deltana natural gas development off the northeast
coast of the country, Vhicoa executive Ildemaro
Guzmán told BNamericas. The shipyard will
be used to supply rigs for the offshore natural
gas deposit.
Last March, US oil company ChevronTexaco signed
a contract with the Venezuelan government for
the development of Deltana's block 3. By building
the shipyard, Vhicoa expects to participate in
all offshore gas projects, Guzman said. The strike
at local iron and steel company Sidor has not
affected Vhicoa since the company does not use
Sidor products, he added.
Vhicoa, located in eastern Bolívar state's
Puerto Ordaz, is considered one of the largest
metal fabrication plants in Latin America, with
production capacity of 3,000t/m. Current production
varies between 1,800t/m and 2,000t/m, close to
50% of which is exported.
The company has built a 3km bridge over the Orinoco
river, which required 20,000t of steel. Vhicoa
is part of the Orinoco industrial consortium CIO,
which is building 150 ore wagons for iron miner
Ferrominera Orinoco".
