North American Blue Energy Partners restarts key furnace at Venezuela's Zuata 2 facility
North American Blue Energy Partners has resumed operations at a dormant furnace in the Orinoco Belt, projecting a production increase of up to 10,000 barrels of oil per day.
North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) has restarted a critical furnace at its Zuata 2 facility in Venezuela after five years of inactivity. The company estimates that the reactivated unit will add between 8,000 and 10,000 barrels of crude oil to its daily output in the coming weeks.
The furnace is essential for the processing of extra-heavy crude, which is typically extracted mixed with water. By heating the crude to specific temperatures, the facility can separate the water and bring the product down to a maximum of 2% water content, the standard required for commercial sale.
CEO Alejandro Betancourt stated that the restart represents a significant capacity recovery for the company, which has seen its production climb from 18,000 barrels per day two years ago to over 200,000 barrels per day currently. NABEP has set a production target of 500,000 barrels per day by the end of 2028, backed by approximately $1 billion in self-funded infrastructure investment.