Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) informs that El Palito Refinery initiated the start-up of PTR (catalytic reforming) and BTX complex (benzene, toluene and xylene) units, as preventive maintenance has been completed.

Benzene, toluene and xylene are used in the petrochemical industry for obtaining thermal and electrical insulators, tires, shoes, carpets, adhesives, paints, detergents, ropes, insecticides, resins, lacquers and plasticizing agents, and other products; xylene and copesol, produced in BTX, are solvents used for the maintenance and stimulation of oil wells.

Maintenance of key and specialized PTR and BTX units was carried out following safety standards and proper procedures and under the “Golpe de Timón” (the Turnaround), with the protagonist participation of the workers of the Offices of Operations and Maintenance, highly professional and qualified personnel.

El Palito Refinery is part of PDVSA's National Refining Circuit and has a processing capacity of 140,000 barrels per day of crude oil.

About PDVSA

Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., the state-owned corporation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is responsible for the efficient, profitable, and dependable exploration, production, refining, transport and commerce of hydrocarbons. This company is deeply committed to environmental protection and its main objectives are to foster the harmonic development of the country, to guarantee sovereignty of national resources, to increase endogenous development and to serve and benefit the Venezuelan people, who correspond to their share of the country’s national wealth.