VENEZUELA – Six Workers Hurt After Explosion at Venezuelan Gas Facility
Six workers were injured after an explosion triggered a major fire at a gas processing facility in Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo region on Friday, according to the state-owned oil company PDVSA, internal reports, and eyewitness footage.
PDVSA stated that emergency procedures were activated immediately after the morning blast, leading to the evacuation of staff from the facility. The company confirmed that emergency teams responded to the incident and assisted all six injured workers.
Reports indicated that two employees suffered severe burns after jumping into nearby waters during the fire. They were transported to a hospital in the western city of Maracaibo for treatment, while four others reportedly sustained minor injuries.
The blaze was eventually brought under control after several hours of firefighting efforts. Videos circulating later in the day showed the fire had been extinguished, though authorities reportedly shut down gas pipelines connected to the plant to help contain the situation.
According to internal PDVSA documents reviewed by Reuters, the incident occurred during a gas depressurisation procedure at the Lamargas compression plant. The facility is part of the Lago Cinco project, operated by China Concord Resources Corp under a contract with PDVSA for crude oil production in Lake Maracaibo’s shallow waters. One internal report noted that the site sustained damage, although no additional details were provided.
PDVSA announced that a technical committee would investigate the cause of the explosion. The company also maintained that oil and gas production in western Venezuela had continued without disruption despite the incident.
The accident highlights ongoing challenges facing Venezuela’s aging oil and gas infrastructure. Fires and power failures have become increasingly common, particularly in the country’s western energy region, where limited foreign investment and U.S. sanctions have complicated maintenance and upgrades.
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