Venezuela and Brazil visit: January 13-21, 1980. Report prepared by the Subcommittee on Energy Development and Applications of the Committee on Science and Technology, US House of Representatives, Ninety-Sixth Congress, Second Session, January 1980
A report is presented on a recent visit to Venezuela and Brazil to investigate their national programs directed toward the development of heavy oil and alcohol fuels respectively. The delegation had the opportunity to talk with the responsible government officials, the industry participants and the researchers in the field. Venezuela has made a national commitment to develop their extensive heavy oil reserves. With conventional oil wells declining in production, heavy oil promises to make an important contribution to their total oil production in the next 20 years. Venezuela's National Technological Institute of Petroleum has the important task of research on the recovery and upgrading of heavy crudes from the Orinoco Oil Belt and the Maracaibo Basin. It is their hope that this research will open the way for the production and sale of these heavy crudes. Although Venezuela's long-term oil future appears stable, they have a carefully planned program of investments of more than $18.7 billion over the next 10 years to assure their production levels. Brazil has made a similar aggressive commitment to the development and utilization of alcohol fuels. With 85% dependence on imported oil, Brazil decided in 1975 to make an all-out effort to reduce imports and utilize their sugar stocks to produce alcohol for their transportation sector. Their first phase goal of achieving a 20% alcohol-gasoline blend has already been met. Their next phase calls for the use of 100% alcohol-fueled vehicles and a production goal of 2.8 billion gallons by 1985. Not only is the government committed to this goal, but so also is the private sector. The several largest automobile manufacturers have cooperatively agreed to manufacture over 1 million cars in the next 3 years which will run on 100% alcohol.
- OSTI ID:
- 6588126
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Serial EE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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