Venezuelan Natural Gas Vehicle Programs Step Up – 500 Stations by 2009 End

Venezuela, Caracas

State owned energy company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A (Pdvsa) has
announced a program that could see almost 500 compressed natural gas
(CNG) stations operating in the country by the end of 2009. Director of
the NGV program for the company, Héctor Castillo is quoted by ABN as
saying Venezuela has reserves of 158 trillion cubic feet of natural gas
feet and that the company hopes to change the pattern of liquid fuel
consumption of heavy and light vehicles as well as government fleets.

The country currently has 148 stations capable of dispensing CNG and
will add another 350 by the end of 2009. Some of the existing stations
will require refurbishment to make them commercially operable again.

The company expects to see 300,000 vehicles operating on CNG by the end
of 2009, releasing 37,000 barrels of oil per day for export use.
Further targets of 500,000 for future years have also been set.

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