Oil/News
Fire at Cardón refinery halts all operations at Paraguaná complex
A gas line leak triggered the blaze and prompted preventive evacuation of staff; the fire was brought under control with no reported casualties, though no official statement was issued.
According to the source consulted, according to a consulted report, a fire on October 6, 2026, brought all operations at the Cardón refinery to a complete halt. The refinery forms part of the Paraguaná Refining Complex in Falcón state. A rupture in a gas line inside the gasoil production unit caused the incident and forced the preventive evacuation of personnel.
The fire was extinguished without reported injuries. Operational sources indicated that the flames were controlled in under an hour, although explosions were reported during the event. Cardón has a nominal capacity of 310,000 barrels per day.
The distillation and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units had already been out of service since the previous month due to lack of feedstock. The new incident extended the shutdown across the entire Cardón refinery and affected part of the CRP operations, which together have a capacity of 955,000 barrels per day.
No official assessment of damages or estimated restart timelines had been released at the time of the reports.
The Paraguaná Refining Complex, which includes Cardón, is Venezuela’s largest refining facility and operates under PDVSA, the country’s state-owned oil company. Cardón processes crude oil in Falcón state as part of the national refining network. The lack of an official statement leaves open questions about the time needed to restore production and about the impact on supplies of refined fuels.
