WILLEMSTAD - The debt of the former operator of the refinery is increasing by about one hundred thousand dollars every day. The contract was terminated fourteen months ago, but due to arrears, the debt burden of Refineria / Isla to Curaçao continues to increase.
The Venezuelan state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela has a lot of unpaid debts. To former employees in the context of the unfinished redundancy scheme, pensioners, contractors, the tax authorities and therefore also to RdK (Curaçao Refinery).
In August 2019, RdK warned in parliament that there was a high chance that Refineria Isla and parent company PdVSA would leave behind significant debts.
After two rulings in favor of RdK and / or RdK's subsidiary Curaçao Refinery Utilities (CRU), namely in March 2020 and last December, the counter is already at a minimum of 135 million guilders.
In the meantime, bank balances and shares of the PdVSA company in the Netherlands that owns the Bopec terminal on Bonaire and the remaining inventory in oil tanks in Curaçao have been seized.
In addition, the process has been initiated to sell other PdVSA properties. Ultimately, RdK, which has no source of income, must also be able to continue to cover operational costs.
At the beginning of January, it was announced that Curaçao Oil Refinery Complex BV, CORC, has been selected as preferred bidder. Negotiations are currently underway between RdK and CORC about the acquisition of the refinery. This includes a lease agreement for the Isla refinery, the oil storage at Bullen Bay and Curaçao Refinery Utilities (CRU).