Petroleum strategy of Venezuela – more partners around the world
December 25, 2006
One can't help but paying attention to clarifications made by Ramirez regarding the strategy of PDVSA. Without beating around the bush he said that the «company would keep itself from expansion of commercial activity» in the USA. If we recollect that Venezuela gradually started «to get rid of» unprofitable CITGO plants in the USA, this statement of Ramirez again confirms the desire of Hugo Chavez government to slightly cut down petroleum presence of Venezuela at the US market without any jerky movements, so that not to annoy its Northern neighbour. With this, maximum efforts are being taken to establish business relations with partners in South America, Asia and other regions of the world. Establishment of joint ventures in the petroleum sphere with «untraditional» for PDVSA partners, especially with China, Iran, Brazil, are very painfully perceived in the USA that did not get used to share previous unlimited access to energy resources of Venezuela with «strangers».
The scale of international activity of PDVSA strikes even the most experienced petroleum operators. It is the Bolivarian range of use of Venezuelan inexhaustible energy resources in order to speed up the integration processes on the Latin American continent that impresses most of all. Among the priorities are laying of South American gas line from Orinoco to Patagonia, the gas line to the Pacific shore of Columbia (with the perspective to ease up regular supplies of petroleum to China), development of huge gas fields in Delta Amacuro, construction of refineries not only in Venezuela but in other countries, including Brazil. Venezuela ensures concessionary supplies of petroleum to the Caribbean and Central American countries, and regular energy supplies to Cuba contribute to strengthening of socialist system on the Island, especially in the transition period which, the country is going through.
In the unfriendly to Chavez international circles and right-conservative press he is called an «all-powerful Venezuelan oil sheikh». It, of course, is a typical propaganda attempt to discredit the political leader, fighting for multi-facet composition of the world, for happy life not only for Venezuelans, but for all Latin Americans that are perceived by Chavez as residents of one big republic under the name of «Patria Grande».