# Energy production and infrastructure in Venezuela

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/energy-production-and-infrastructure-in-venezuela
> Updated: 2026-10-06T21:09:36.000Z. Sources: 16. Developments: 2.

Repsol has maintained natural gas production at the Cardón IV field in Venezuela at 580 million cubic feet per day. This production level has been steady since March following agreements between the Spanish energy company, the Italian firm ENI, and the Venezuelan government to exploit the field. These operations are supported by United States general licenses.

In recent months, Repsol has signed three agreements with the Venezuelan government and state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to increase both natural gas and crude oil production. CEO Josu Jon Imaz stated the company intends to continue supplying gas essential for the Venezuelan electrical system.

However, the Cardón refinery, part of the Paraguaná Refining Center, was recently shut down following a fire at a gas line connected to a diesel hydrotreater. The blaze, caused by a ruptured natural gas line, triggered an emergency shutdown of the entire facility, including its boilers. PDVSA reported that the fire was contained within an hour and that no workers were injured during the evacuation. 

While social media footage showed significant columns of smoke and flames, PDVSA stated there was no major damage and that the company is investigating the cause. The Cardón refinery is the nation’s second-largest facility, with a capacity of 310,000 barrels per day. PDVSA noted that the national refining system maintains sufficient inventories to ensure fuel delivery to the population despite the incident.

## Claims

- The fire was caused by a natural gas line rupture at approximately 3:25 p.m. that feeds the facility's boilers. (disputed by 3 sources)
- The fire started at a gas line connected to the diesel hydrotreater, forcing a total facility shutdown including boilers. (disputed by 3 sources)
- The Cardon refinery has a capacity of approximately 310,000 barrels per day. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- Cardon is part of the Paraguaná Refining Center, which has a total capacity of 955,000 barrels per day. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The fire was controlled quickly without injuries, third-party effects, or major damage. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The fire was extinguished in less than one hour. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The refinery underwent an emergency shutdown and remains under evaluation for a safe restart. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The National Refining System maintains sufficient fuel inventories to ensure domestic supply. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-06: Cardón refinery in Venezuela shuts down after gas line fire

A natural gas line rupture caused a fire at Venezuela’s Cardón refinery on Tuesday, forcing an emergency shutdown. PDVSA reported no injuries and stated that national fuel supplies remain sufficient.

14 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cardon-refinery-in-venezuela-shut-down-after-fire

### 2026-09-30: Repsol maintains gas production in Venezuela at 580 million cubic feet per day

Repsol reports that gas production at Venezuela's Cardón IV field remains stable at 580 million cubic feet per day through agreements with PDVSA and ENI.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/repsol-maintains-gas-production-in-venezuela-at-580-million-cubic-feet-per-day

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Cite as: Energy production and infrastructure in Venezuela. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/energy-production-and-infrastructure-in-venezuela