PDVSA asks private companies for letters of interest for new gas pipeline

Venezuela's PDVSA is asking private companies to submit letters of interest for a new gas pipeline that would connect the mainland to the eastern island of Margarita, a major tourism destination in Venezuela. Firms have until Sept. 15 to register their interest in the project with PDVSA.
Details of the project were released Aug. 4. The project involves the expansion of a pipeline between Barbacoas and Puerto La Cruz. Puerto La Cruz is a major gas-processing centre in eastern Venezuela. From Puerto La Cruz, a new pipeline will be built to connect the city of Cumana with the national gas transmission network. From Cumana, the pipeline will travel under the sea to Margarita island.
Senior officials with PDVSA Gas said earlier this year that the pipeline to Margarita would not be built unless an agreement had been reached with the local utility, SENECA, to convert its fuel oil-fired power station to gas and depended on the signing of a long-term gas supply agreement. Officials at SENECA, which is owned by the US-based CMS Energy, were not immediately available for comment.