What could be the great technological challenges to be overcome by the Venezuelan petroleum industry?
We have the largest oil reserves in the world here in Venezuela in the Orinoco Oil Belt; however, the oil contained therein is a low API gravity oil, which makes it a technological challenge for us to be able to produce this oil throughout the exploration, production and transportation process.
It is also a challenge for the oil industry in all matters concerning environmental preservation, taking into consideration the emissions generated by fuels derived from hydrocarbons, oil spills, among others.
The training of professionals able to face these technological challenges must be deepened, so it is necessary to prepare in a complementary way between Universities and research centers that provide the necessary knowledge for the technological challenges mentioned, an example of this is the fact of being able to continue deepening in how to improve the viscosity and density of extra heavy oil from the Orinoco Oil Belt, taking into consideration the production costs.
The technological challenges in relation to extra heavy crude are challenges not because this type of crude is not being produced from the Orinoco oil belt, the reason is that it ends up being a challenge because what has been produced at commercial level is oil with 16 and 18 degrees API, however, having to produce derivatives from extra heavy oil below 14 degrees API is a challenge, because for example, the lower the API degree, the more difficult it is to obtain high quality fuels: the lower the API degree the more difficult it is to obtain high quality fuels, it is not impossible but to obtain a high quality fuel from an extra heavy oil is a challenge where it is necessary to deepen in technologies that facilitate to improve the viscosity of this extra heavy oil once it is already on the surface.
In environmental matters we have a great challenge just to name one that is of great magnitude, such is the case of our Lake Maracaibo, the lake is highly contaminated by oil, and even if they can reduce spills and oil leaks into the waters of the lake, it already has a degree of contamination that affects the biodiversity of this body of water, However, everything that can be developed in science and research to find a mechanism to help detoxify the lake from the oil that has been spilled during all these years will help to continue exploiting oil in the Maracaibo Lake basin and to generate the confidence to operate in oil production in this lake environment respecting the preservation of this important ecosystem such as the Maracaibo Lake.