Cabaiguán refinery committed to processing Cuban crude oil

Committed to its core mission, the Sergio Soto oil refinery in Cabaiguán is pressing ahead with the refining of Cuban crude oil—thanks to industry innovations—despite the obstacles posed by the U.S. government’s energy blockade on fuel imports.

According to Mijail Bonachea Crespo, the facility’s director, a top priority right now is supplying fuel oil for electricity generation on the Isle of Youth—a task undertaken since March—as well as supplying vital health and economic centers across the country.

Regarding other production areas, the executive noted that dielectric oil for transformers is another product currently in short supply nationwide.

“We are also producing oil—which is one of our main outputs—because production of liquid asphalt is at a standstill; we are only extracting small volumes of cold-mix asphalt for pothole repairs. Our other production activity has focused on refining various types of domestic crude. We have introduced crude from new fields into the refinery’s processing mix and are conducting test runs with crude from Guanao and Cojimar.”

“We are incorporating crude from several fields into the refinery’s mix and seeking products or blends that yield high-quality diesel or fuel oil for power generation or the economy, thereby enabling us to meet the country’s needs—at least the vital ones.”