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ISSUES....
Inside, confidential and off the record
Bursting at the seems
Yesterday, the III World Heavy Oil Congress (WHOC) delegates found out, that the 2009 WHOC Congress, to be held on Nov 3 –5, in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, was been relocating to Margarita Island, Venezuela, on the same assigned dates.For the 2009 WHOC, this is the third change of venue for this event, it started last year at the II WHOC Congress in Edmonton, Canada with the announcement that the 2009 WHOC Congress was to be held in the Venezuelan oil city of Maracaibo, later this year the PDVSA oil company top brass change the location to the industrial city of Puerto Ordaz, where the Orinoco & Caroni rivers meet, and all country heavy industry is located, it had its advantages, is closer to the heavy oil fields of the Orinoco belt. Around June of this year when PDVSA realized that it will be difficult to accommodate at least 1000 delegates in the hotels in the city, they switch the venue to the port city of Puerto La Cruz, where the hotels facilities are greater, it might not be close to the Orinoco belt, but you are right at the heavy oil up graders complex and export terminals in the Jose petrochemical and oil complex. Yesterday, with only one week before the event is to take place, the venezuelan government told the events organizers they could not guaranty the energy supply to the city due to a record drought conditions this year in Venezuela and advise to move the Congress to Margarita Island, just off the venezuelan main land.
WHOC announced yesterday, the relocation to the Margarita Island, just a 15 minutes flight from Puerto La Cruz . Why is a oil rich country not able to supply a major city with steady energy supply ?, simple, in 10 years the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, has focus in winning elections with populist programs and forgot to invest in infrastructure for generating power to take care of the growing demand that the oil money generated from it, resulting in a constant shortage of electricity in most cities in Venezuela. Could you believe that in the XXI century, in a oil rich country with sky high oil prices on the table, this situation will occur, this is right out of Garcia Marquez novels, but is real, everyday most of venezuelan cities suffer electricity shortages and blackouts, due to increase in demand and not enough supply, lack of investment in the sector, poor maintenance of the old generating plants, etc, etc, etc.Well, at the end the delegates of the WHOC Congress will be better serve in Margarita, a perfect beach resort, free tax duty Island, perfect for such events, free for the electricity shortages ( at hotels only with extra energy facilities), and very close to Puerto La Cruz, for those who insist in all work no play and want to take the technical tours.
Have a pleasant trip to Venezuela and we will see you all there !
Click here for the latest information on the WHOC
ISSUES.... 10/28/09
ISSUES.... Inside, confidential and off the recordIs an independent journalist effort from Petroleumworld, on Inside, Confidential and Off The Record Information, its views are not necessarily those of Petroleumworld - Send Us Your Issues
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