Statoil has today an equity production capacity of roughly 19,000 barrels of oil per day from the Petrocedeño field in the Orinoco Belt.  The upgrading plant is located at Jose, in eastern Venezuela.

On a daily basis, it converts extra-heavy oil volumes into about 170,000 barrels of high-quality syncrude, known as Zuata Sweet, about 6,000 tonnes of coke (petrol-coke) and approximately 900 tonnes of sulphur.   This syncrude is of a higher quality than Brent Blend reference crude. It has about 32° API.

Our competence and technology in the extra heavy oil value chain, both upstream as well as upgrading, is essential for success.   Extra heavy oil has a density of about 8 API and a viscosity larger than 1000 cp.

The Orinoco Belt area is the greatest accumulation of such resources in the world.