Sancti Spiritus: Oil Refinery Resumes Production after Rehabilitation

The Sergio Soto refinery in Cabaiguán, central Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus, restarted production after completing the general repair of the furnaces.

This plant, the only one in the country that processes national crude oil, began to deliver about 300 tons of asphalt liquid daily, reports the Granma newspaper today.

The refinery’s General Manager, Lester Alemán Hurtado, said that there was a real metamorphosis in the furnaces, vital in the process of heating and subsequent distillation of the raw material.

He pointed out that the work included the complete replacement of the structure of the furnaces, the respective supports, the pipes, the temperature measurement systems and the refractory walls.

It also included the installation of two new flame arresters, which will help reduce gas emissions into the atmosphere, an old demand of the inhabitants of the area.

The repair represents a boost for the production of petroleum products in the industry, particularly for the manufacture of the asphalt liquid for the island’s road infrastructure.

Valued in over 760 thousand dollars, the investment was made by the company’s own workers and those of Maintenance to Electric Power Plants and Specialized Technical Services Cienfuegos.