OREANDA-NEWS. July 25, 2012. Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) will invest VEB 2 billion (USD  465.1 million) in the construction of a housing complex in Santa Ines agro-industrial complex (COMINSI), in which the Santa Ines Battle Refinery (RBSI) will be built.

Since July 2010, PDVSA is financing several works in the region such as roads, power lines, construction of administrative buildings, drainage systems, a waste water treatment plant, potable water system, and supply of fiber optic for voice and data networks. These works have been implemented by several companies in the region, particularly by the Barinas Socialist Infrastructure Corporation (Corsobain), a joint venture.

Jesus Luongo, PDVSA’s Executive Director for Refining, said in a recent visit to  COMINSI that the complex will be “an excellent development center for the western state of Barinas, which will have its hub in the new Santa Ines Battle Refinery and will boost the entire economy of the region.”

Luongo highlighted that this industrial park makes a clear difference with the old PDVSA’s projects, because in COMINSI the socialist oil industry will not only process oil but it will accompany the growth of an agro-industrial hub that will bring many benefits to the residents of nearby communities.

PDVSA, through the Executive Board of New Refineries, Upgraders and Terminals Projects (DERNRMT) took on the commitment to give a boost to the aforementioned agro-industrial complex as part of the revolutionary government’s strategy announced by President Hugo Chavez in October 2008, aimed at promoting a development hub around the new refining plant in the state of Barinas.

In addition to the Battle of Santa Ines Refinery, COMINSI will have a fuel distribution center; two power plants of 100 and 600 megawatts, respectively; a drilling maintenance shop; a beef and pork complex; a ready mix concrete plant; an asphalt plant; a plant for the construction of PVC houses (Petrocasa); and truck and tractor factories made with Belarusian technology.

To ensure the operation of all these projects, PDVSA began urban planning works a year ago. As a result, companies and subsidiaries located in this industrial park will have the facilities required for a proper development.

Belarus-Venezuela Agreement

The DEPNRMT, along with Boyaca’s Exploration and Production Division of a socialist PDVSA, ensured the availability of electricity and water supply systems as well as the roads needed for the construction of truck and tractor assembly plants established by the Venezuela-Belarus agreement. The plants were recently opened in the area.

Within this framework, the Venezuelan oil company financed and  procured the execution of several medium complexity public works to supply electricity and raw water, drainage systems, domestic wastewater treatment,  storage of diesel and paved roads to the plots of land where the factories were built.        

Corsobain continues to pave secondary roads and to build public works and utilities in different locations of the agro-industrial complex. The works will be fully completed by the end of 2013.