WILLEMSTAD - Curaçao Oil Refinery Complex (CORC) pledges to be committed to "gradually improving environmental conditions" and strives to meet "the best international standards". The aim is a sustainable operation of the refinery in the long term.
In addition, CORC wants to improve the working conditions of the employees. This is evident from a press release sent out recently by spokesman Percy Pinedo on behalf of the local consortium that was selected as "preferred bidder".
After Refineria di Kòrsou (RdK) had already confirmed the choice, CORC says it is "very proud". Negotiations with various parties, including government NV RdK, are still ongoing, but the intention is that all contracts will be signed by 1 March at the latest.
In any case, CORC says it is determined to finalize the definitive agreement with RdK at the end of February. These are agreements related to the exploitation of the oil refinery, the facilities in the harbor at Emmastad and the oil terminal at Bullen Bay, according to the press release, which emphasizes once again that the entity is "one hundred percent Curaçao".
It became known through documents found on the website of the Chamber of Commerce that the company is headed by Javier Hernández, who was director of Refineria Isla Curaçao for many years, and Manoel "Lito" De Silva De Freitas. De Silva De Freitas is familiar with the refinery as a maintenance contractor with his company Dick & Doof Contractors.
Dick & Doof is part of the consortium together with the Isla unions PWFC (Petroleum Workers' Federation Curaçao) and Apri (Asosashon Pa empleadonan di staf di Refineria Isla). The press release does not mention Da Silva De Freitas by name, but does mention the name of his company and the "very important" involvement of Hernández, a "globally recognized expert in oil refining".
“The team has extensive and long-term experience in the operation and support of the Curaçao refinery complex. The core of CORC is and will remain local. The exploitation will be carried out in collaboration with "one of the largest oil groups in the world and with the United Nations".
According to sources clow to CORC, they have agreements with the Brazilian GDE Trading (Grupo Dislub Equador). This would involve Petra Energia Sa, also from Brazil, and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec). As far as the UN is concerned, this concerns the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido).