The Dominican Republic purchased 50,000 barrels of oil from Brazil yesterday. The Listin Diario said that the president of the Dominican Refinery, Aristides Fernandez Zucco said that the tanker should arrive at the refinery this weekend. Currently, there are reports of rationing by the refinery and of shortages in some parts of the country. According to the paper, Fernandez Zucco reported that one ship failed to fulfill its commitment to deliver 50,000 barrels of diesel fuel and another 90,000 barrels of gasoline, and yet another ship was turned away from the refinery’s docks because of questions as to the quality of the oil and environmental issues.
Meanwhile, Diario Libre writes that delays in ships coming from Ecopetrol of Colombia and PDVSA in Venezuela forced the purchase from Brazil. As a result of all of this, President Leonel Fernandez will visit the refinery today and meet with the board of directors. This comes a day after the President met with the National Energy Commission to review the fuel saving measures that he introduced before leaving for the United States.
Refinery president Fernandez Zucco told Diario Libre reporters that PDVSA is not supplying the refinery with the full quota covered by the Petrocaribe agreement because it does not have the transportation infrastructure needed for the job. Fernandez Zucco also told the reporters that the refinery’s main partner, the Shell Oil Company, has collaborated to the fullest in order for the refinery to obtain the most out of the Petrocaribe Agreement, but Venezuela cannot, at this time, guarantee timely shipments. To that end, Fernandez Zucco said that Venezuela has placed orders for new tankers in order to supply the demand created by the Petrocaribe agreement.