CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA said on Monday the Petropiar extra-heavy crude upgrader, part-owned by U.S. oil company Chevron Corp (N:CVX), had begun operations as a blending facility.
The facility, which used to produce upgraded crude destined mainly for the U.S. market, is expected to produce some 130,000 barrels per day of heavier Merey crude with an API gravity of 16, PDVSA said, adding that the first Merey shipment from the plant of some 520,000 barrels had already been loaded.