WILLEMSTAD — Curaçao will stop conventional refining of gasoline and diesel, Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas confirmed during discussions in the Parliamentary Assembly on regional political tensions, particularly those involving the United States and Venezuela.
According to Pisas, modern international market standards and new environmental and air quality regulations introduced in 2025 mean that the island’s refinery can no longer produce conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel at the levels or quality previously expected. Officials have concluded that restoring full traditional refinery operations would require far greater investment than is realistic under current conditions.
Instead, Pisas said, smaller-scale industrial activities will remain feasible, including:
- Storage and terminal services for crude and refined products, particularly at the Bullenbaai terminal;
- Product blending;
- Asphalt production;
- Specialised product manufacturing on client request.
He noted that the required investments for these activities are significantly lower than needed to restart full refining operations, but still sufficient to keep Curaçao integrated into the global energy supply chain.
Pisas also addressed questions about whether there were ongoing negotiations involving the refinery in the context of U.S.–Venezuela oil arrangements. He said that, to date, no formal talks have taken place involving the refinery in relation to the recent Venezuelan crude shipments that arrived at Bullenbaai — an initiative seen by some as a step toward re-establishing Curaçao’s logistical role in the region’s energy markets.
“The refinery is owned by 2Bays, and at present there are no active negotiations with any party to operate the oil facilities,” Pisas explained. “At government level we have not yet reached a point where an official process can begin. But we are staying informed of developments so that opportunities for Curaçao can be seized as they arise.”
Pisas also highlighted the arrival of the first tanker carrying Venezuelan crude to Bullenbaai on January 14 as an important step in revitalising Curaçao’s logistics role in the international energy chain — even if full refining no longer fits within environmental and economic realities.
While conventional refinery operations may be ending, the prime minister’s comments suggest a transition toward alternative industrial uses and energy logistics, reflecting broader global shifts in energy markets as well as Curaçao’s evolving place within them.