(PDVSA Press Room) - "At the beginning of March, PDVSA GAS, an affiliate of Petróleos de Venezuela, will start the first civil and electromechanical works for the construction and installation of the Zapato Mata -R- Operational Center of the main gas industry in the country.

This operational center is part of the first phase of the Anaco Gas Project (PGA), where PDVSA Gas seeks to increase its gas production in the area of the Anaco District from 1,600 million cubic feet per day to 2,800 million. These facilities will be located in the Freites municipality, in the center part of Anzoategui state.

It is worth remembering that the operational areas San Joaquín and Santa Rosa are also part of the first phase of the Anaco Gas Project. Both gas plants currently use state of the art technology to increase production in Venezuela's gas core.

Carlos Carrizo, Superintendent for Construction of the Zapato Mata -R- Operational Center, said that last Thursday February 15th arrived to the entity the first package with 9 turbo-compressors and their accessories, which will be used to begin the installation and construction of the operational center, while the rest of the accessories that make up the nine compression trains will arrive in the next days.

Carrizo added that this meaningful project will have 2 main areas: the first one will be the Centralized Station or Operation and Treatment where gas will be separated from crude (creating pure and clean gas), while the second phase will be the Compression Plant.

The Zapato Mata -R- Operational Center will contribute with a gas production higher than 477 million cubic feet per day.

The Superintendent in charge of the project informed that 4 turbo-compressors will work with low pressure, while the remaining 5 compression trains will work with high pressure. The investment surpassed 80 million dollars, and installation will start beginning of March".