WILLEMSTAD – Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA plans to import from Russia between 750,000 and 1 million barrels of Urals grade crude to be processed in the 335,000 b/d Isla refinery here in Curaçao, a PDVSA source, who asked not to be identified, said Monday to platts.com.

“It is expected that the shipment will be available by mid-November,” said the source.

The Urals crude will be used for testing in different manufacturing processes of products, according to the source.

“PDVSA is evaluating various options to revive crude complex lubricants,” said the source.

The company also has plans to import some Saharan Blend crude from Algeria, both as diluent for heavy crude production in the Orinoco Belt and as a feedstock to restart the shuttered lubricants plant at the Curaçao refinery, industry sources said in early September.

PDVSA has operated the Isla refinery since 1985 under a lease agreement with the government of Curaçao. The lease has been renewed several times and which runs through 2019.

Bron: Curaçaochronicle