Oil Spill From Venezuela’s El Palito Refinery Contaminates The Caribbean Sea

An oil spill from Venezuela’s El Palito Refinery has severely polluted a bay on the country’s north-central coast, affecting an estimated 225 square kilometers (87 square miles) of the Caribbean Sea.

Five sources confirmed the spill with Reuters on August 17, 2024, that occurred several days ago.

Biologist Eduardo Klein shared satellite images on X (formerly known as Twitter) of a vast oil slick in the Golfo Triste region covering the beaches and mangroves of Morrocoy National Park.

The park is known for its breathtaking palm-lined beaches and rich biodiversity, making the spill’s environmental impact alarming.

Despite the severity of the situation, neither the Venezuelan oil ministry nor the state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has issued a formal statement.

The El Palito refinery in the Puerto Cabello municipality of the Carabobo state is Venezuela’s smallest oil refining complex, with a capacity to process 146000 barrels of crude oil daily.

According to local sources, the spill reached the shores of Boca de Aroa, where hydrocarbons were found on the beaches, impacting boats, including artisanal fishing vessels.

One person claimed to have witnessed three large oil slicks that had washed ashore.

The lack of an instant response from PDVSA and the oil ministry raises several concerns about the extent of the damage and the measures being taken to contain and clean up the spill.

Reference: Reuters

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Source: Maritime Shipping News