New Orinoco Projects to Up Output 520,000b/d by 2012

BNamericas

Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA aims to produce an extra 520,000 barrels a day (b/d) at the Orinoco heavy crude belt by 2012, officials from the state firm's R&D unit Intevep told BNamericas.

The extra production would come from new E&P methods plus US$15.3bn in new investments as well as a breakthrough in technologies to update extra-heavy crude onsite to API grade 22 from API grade 8.

"We have some processes [for E&P] of a thermal nature that have to do with water injection which involves varying the processes to make them more efficient," Intevep president Hercilio Rivas said.

Intevep is field-testing the processes in two separate pilot projects, combining its findings with some of its proprietary E&P technologies, Intevep planning director Omar Uzcategui said.

In addition, Intevep is developing with France's R&D institute Axens a refining technology for heavy sour crude called HDH Plus.

Orinoco presently produces 500,000-600,000b/d.

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