Fire extinguished at Venezuelan oil upgrader, operations halted, sources say

A large fire was extinguished on Thursday at a Venezuelan crude upgrader operated by state-run company PDVSA, but operations remain halted while workers begin inspections, three sources with knowledge of the incident said.

The fire, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon, caused no injuries, but damaged a distillation tower and nearby infrastructure, the sources said. Upgraders in Venezuela are key to turn the country's extra heavy oil output into exportable crude grades.