June 7, 2006
Venezuela ponders on refining Ecuadorian oil

(El Universal) - "Up to 65,000 bpd of Ecuadorian oil could be processed in Paraguaná Refining Complex (CRP) under state oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), manager Jesús Luongo reported.

'As the minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramírez said, we are assessing right now the possibility of refining Ecuadorian oil at CRP,' Luongo told reporters on visit to one of the refineries.

Last May, President Hugo Chávez announced his offer in this regard. Ending that month, both nations executed agreements on energy cooperation including plans to build a joint refinery and onshore gas storage, AFP quoted.

'Venezuela undertook to refine up to 65,000 barrels of oil,' Fernando González, the head of Petroecuador, said

Ecuador 'exports oil and imports fuel. Now, therefore, we are planning to help Ecuador and will charge not even the cost,' Chávez claimed when making the proposal".