Explosion Forces Closure of Cardon, Venezuela’s Second-Largest Oil Refinery

An explosion has shuttered operations at the Cardon refinery, the second-largest crude processing plant in Venezuela, following an intense blaze on-site. The facility was forced to halt output after flames broke out and disrupted critical refining infrastructure, leaving the country's fragile energy sector facing further fuel delivery bottlenecks.

According to initial reports, the fire originated along an active gas pipeline feeding into the massive complex located in Punto Fijo, within the coastal state of Falcón. With an operational processing capacity of up to 300,000 barrels of oil per day, the Cardon facility serves as an essential pillar of domestic fuel production, compounding regional fuel risks during the unexpected outage.

Cardon forms a pivotal component of the Paraguana Refining Center, one of the world's largest refining complexes alongside the nearby Amuay facility. In recent years, Venezuelan state-run energy assets have suffered frequent operational disruptions, fires, and safety incidents caused by systemic underinvestment, deferred maintenance, and the impact of severe international sanctions on vital replacement equipment.

Engineers and emergency response teams are currently assessing the extent of the structural damage before issuing an official timeline for restoring pipeline integrity and resuming crude throughput. The sudden shutdown is anticipated to exacerbate persistent domestic gasoline shortages across Venezuela and further pressure state oil company PDVSA's export commitments in the immediate term.