Cuba News and Information

Radio Habana Cuba

In the central Cuban province of Cienfuegos, work is underway dredging berths at the Camilo Cienfuegos Oil Refinery to increase capacity to receive 228 meter long crude oil tankers with up to 70,000 tons displacement and a keel depth of 11.9 meters.

According to Jose Manuel Suarez, director of Crude Oil and Products Movement of the Cuban-Venezuelan enterprise PDVCUPET S.A., this is a fundamental step for the start up of the plant planned for November of this year.

The conclusion of phase two is targeted for August 25, by which time 130,000 cubic meters of sediment will have been removed, creating a depth of 13 meters at the entrance channel, the operations dock and the berthing box.

Excavations were carried out using a suction dredge and, for the first time in Cuba, a turbidity curtain was used to gather silt particles, which were then deposited in another area of the bay so as not to pollute the area. The work is now being continued using an excavator type dredge operated by ASTIMAR.

The renovation and maintenance project, coming after more than 15 years of use, includes a revamping of the technical facilities and the replacement of five loading and unloading cranes with safe, modern and efficient cranes. In addition, 11 shock absorbers will be installed on the dock.

Jose Manuel Suarez explained that the facility also counts with an 800-meter long floating containment barrier and floating oil collectors (skimmers) to safeguard against any possible oil spillage in the inlet.