Venezuela's PDVSA resumes operations at El Palito refinery, sources say

Venezuela's state energy company Petroleos de Venezuela PDVSA has resumed operation at the catalytic cracking unit at the El Palito refinery, a government-allied legislator and seven sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday.

The refinery's reactivation, almost one year after its stoppage, is a key move to alleviate the recent fuel shortage in the South American nation. El Palito, the country's smallest refinery, is undergoing major repairs and expansion projects after a 100-million-euro deal signed with the state-owned Iranian National Company of Petroleum Refining and Distribution (NIORDC).

It has a production capacity of 146,000 barrels per day (bpd).