Field DispatchZulia

    The Oil Belt Is Waking Up Into a Body That Cannot Support It

    Jerónimo spent four days on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo, from the General Urdaneta Bridge south through Cabimas and La Salina to Lagunillas. New equipment is arriving, but 20,000 km of subsurface pipeline, overflowing storage tanks, 35% refinery utilisation, and 6–8 hours of daily electricity rationing define the limits of recovery.

    Jerónimo spent four days on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo, from the General Urdaneta Bridge south through Cabimas and La Salina to Lagunillas. New equipment is arriving, but 20,000 km of subsurface pipeline, overflowing storage tanks, 35% refinery utilisation, and 6–8 hours of daily electricity rationing define the limits of recovery.

    Subscriber Access Required

    Access to Field Dispatch articles is available exclusively to Professional subscribers.