2020 El Palito oil spill
 | This article needs to be updated. (March 2023) |
| El Palito oil spill | |
|---|---|
 El Palito refinery, where the spill occurred | |
| Location | El Palito refinery,  Carabobo Carabobo state,  Venezuela |
| Date | July 2020 |
| Cause | |
| Operator | Petróleos de Venezuela |
| Spill characteristics | |
The El Palito oil spill was an oil spill that occurred at the El Palito refinery, Venezuela, in July 2020.
Oil spill
[edit]The spill was estimated to be 25 thousand oil barrels into the Triste Gulf due to malfunctions in the cooler of the heat exchanger systems that use seawater to lower the pressure. In an attempt to double production from 20,000 to 40,000 daily oil barrels to 61,500 at the catalytic cracking and 87,500 bpd at the distillation tower, "multiple leaks" developed. The refinery had been unable to produce gasoline for several weeks. Experts argue that this was the tenth shutdown of the refinery in three months. The spill reached the eastern coast of Falcón State and Morrocoy National Park.[1][2][3]
Aftermath
[edit]Another spill occurred in February 2021.[4]
See also
[edit]- 2023 El Palito oil spill
- Environmental issues in Venezuela
- MV Wakashio oil spill
- Amuay tragedy
- Orinoco Mining Arc
References
[edit]- ^ "Derrame de petróleo en Venezuela: "El mundo está preocupado por el de isla Mauricio pero en Venezuela hay uno el doble de grande"". BBC Mundo. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ "25.000 barriles han ido a la costa: Intentos de reactivar refinería El Palito detonan derrames petroleros". Banca y Negocios. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "El Parque Nacional Morrocoy en peligro de extinción tras derrame de petróleo". El Venezolano de Houston. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Arteaga González, Kevin (9 February 2021). "Nuevo derrame de El Palito podría afectar Boca de Aroa a días de Carnaval". El Carabobeño. Retrieved 26 April 2021.