PDVSA Investigates Venezuelan Blast

The Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA is investigating the cause of an Aug. 25 blast and fire at its Amuay refinery that killed at least 41 and injured 150. Ángel Esteban, who heads industrial safety at PDVSA, told local television stations that a gas leak in the facility’s storage area likely ignited but that the source of the leak remained unknown. As many as 222 firefighters fought the flames for three days, according to Venezuela’s state news agency. Amuay is one of three refineries at Venezuela’s Paraguana complex, which represents about 71% of the country’s refining capacity.