Tremor leaves Lake Maracaibo operations unscathed

Offshore staff

(Venezuela)- An earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale did not disrupt oil and gas production and transportation in the Lake Maracaibo region of Venezuela, according to a PDVSA statement.

Lake Maracaibo continues to be a key E&P area for PDVSA, even 80 years after US oil workers performed the first drilling. PDVSA Western Division E&P GM Ricardo Coronado commented that there was no damage to the infrastructure in the region upon completing a survey of the area.

In addition to its production, Lake Maracaibo has an important navigational channel that allows tankers to traverse the body of water. More than half of Venezuela's oil exports leave daily through the lake.

01/06/2006