Venezuela’s oil industry is at risk of grinding to a halt, along with the rest of the nation, as El Guri, Venezuela’s largest hydroelectric power facility, could see a drop in output of 3,800 megawatts if eight of 18 turbines are shut down. That would be roughly a quarter of the power produced in the country. Since the national electric grid powers the oil industry from oil wells, to refineries, natural gas processing plants and marine terminals, loss of power from Guri would be crippling. This situation is highly possible if reservoir levels keep falling. The government appears to have no immediate solutions and instead talks of lofty goals on converting its diesel-run power plants to be fueled by natural gas. The Guri dam was at 242.88 meters at the end of April and shutdowns would begin if it reaches 240 meters. While it has started to rain recently […]