Paraguaná’s pioneering Cardón Refinery celebrates 68 years in operation

 

Paraguaná, May 7, 2017.- Cardón Refinery, an industrial icon of the city of Punto Fijo in Falcón state on the Paraguaná peninsula, celebrates its history every May 7th. It began in 1949 when the first eight crude oil processing plants started operations. 

Cardón Refinery marks a before and after of the peninsula’s economy and society. Since 1997, as part of the Paraguaná Refining Center, many processing units are in operation with cutting edge technology and highly skilled personnel committed to the Homeland led by Workers’ President Nicolás Maduro.

Yennifer Durán, a Technical Office’s worker, said she was pleased to be part of the first Paraguaná refinery: "Working at PDVSA allows me to give back to my country what it has given me and I am hopeful that we who love this land, sooner rather than later, will achieve its development with disciplined and honest work and turn it into a power”.

With 42 years of service at Cardón Refinery, Héctor Martínez, is a role model for the new generations due to his experience in the process area. He calls on them to "wear your badge proudly on your chest and next to your heart; this reflects discipline and a sense of belonging to the CRP family and Cardón Refinery”.

CRP General Manager José Martín Rodríguez expressed his pride of being able to carry Cardón operations forward together with the oil workers: "The refinery is an industrial icon of PDVSA and of the Nation. It ensures domestic gas and the fuel that the west of the country consumes, where we have our Finished Lubricant Bottling Plant with the best technology. We are patriotic commitment and quality at the service of Venezuela”.

With 68 years supporting the development and transformation of the country, Cardón Refinery along with Amuay Refinery, are firmly positioned to ensure the timely supply of fuel in Venezuela. Today, CRP and the oil workers together with the community celebrate these 68 years. Cardón Refinery continues to be an example of solidarity, discipline, teamwork and love for the Homeland, values that identify the new PDVSA.

Cardón Refinery Timeline

1945: Start of construction

1949: Processing of 50,000 barrels per day with three distillers and one gas plant in operation.

1957: Two vacuum distillation plants and one alkylation unit started operations.

1970: Start of the first hydrodesulfurization unit in Venezuela.

1982: The production lines of the Lubricant Mixing and Bottling Plant began to operate.

1992: Deep conversion is introduced with the implementation of Cardón Refinery Suitability Project (PARC). 11 plants, 20 tanks and a new dock were built.

1997: Merging of Amuay and Cardón Refineries. The Paraguaná Refining Center is born.

2003: Ignition of La Botija flare stack which marked the defeat of the sabotage against the oil industry. PDVSA orients its activities for the benefit of the people.

2008: Shutdown, expansion and technological suitability of the Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCC), which increased the plant’s gasoline production capacity by 15%.

2013: Increase in the production of refined oils and lubricating bases of the Lubricants Complex for a total of 300,000 tons of refined paraffinic per year.

2015: Water autonomy for the CRP with the launch of the Desalination Plant. 800 liters of water are produced per second.