An explosion at a rig operated by state-run oil company PDVSA in Venezuela's Los Llanos central region left at least 17 workers injured late on Sunday, including two with severe burns, three sources said on Monday.
The accident occurred at PDVSA's Colven 02 rig in Apure state. Some of the injured workers were transported to Colombia for medical assistance,and others to the nearby town of Guasdualito, according to the sources, videos and photos on social media, which showed tall, yellow flames and a plume of black smoke.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, and no additional information about the condition of the injured workers was immediately available.
Incidents are frequent at PDVSA's aging infrastructure, including fires and outages impacting oil production and refining operations. A similar explosion at a gas processing plant in Lake Maracaibo killed a worker last month.
PDVSA remains central to Venezuela's oil industry
PDVSA is Venezuela's state-run oil company and oversees the country's oil production and exports.
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that the United States and Venezuela reached an agreement to export up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude to the United States, a move intended to help Venezuela avoid deeper production cuts while redirecting supplies from China. The agreement underscored PDVSA's central role in the country's energy sector.
Oil sector has undergone policy changes
In January, the Trump administration eased some sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry, allowing US companies to invest in the sector while continuing to exclude firms from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. Reuters reported that the policy was intended to encourage US investment in Venezuela's oil industry following political changes in the country.
The sanctions changes were part of broader efforts to increase activity in Venezuela's energy sector, where PDVSA remains the key state-owned operator.
Cause of blast remains unclear
PDVSA had not publicly commented on Sunday's explosion by the time of publication.
It was not immediately clear whether the incident would affect operations at the rig in Apure state.