Caracas, 3 de octubre de 2003 - Offnews.info

38The money will come from a state development fund called Fonden, whichhas already dedicated $3 billion to the national power sector since 2004, thereport said.Venezuela will also undertake new power projects linked to new oil projectsin the Orinoco heavy oil belt and the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho IndustrialComplex, Ramirez said in the report.A 50,000 b/d fluid catalytic cracker at PDVSA's El Palito refinery operatedat below capacity for some two weeks after an unplanned shutdown due toan electric failure on September 26. PDVSA said the FCC was fullyoperational as of October 10. A fire also shut a 190,000 b/d crude distillationunit at PDVSA's Amuay refinery in July.Ramirez denied that Venezuela's refinery problems had caused recentgasoline shortages in the Dominican Republic. Venezuela offers to sendDominican Republic up to 50,000 b/d, but the country is only using 35,000b/d, Ramirez said. "We haven't denied to send them more," he said.Ramirez also said that Venezuela has not held back shipments to the UnitedStates, although he did say that PDVSA bought a dispatch of alkylates fromBP to produce fuel.PDVSA said October 9 that refinery shutdowns had not caused the companyto stop fulfilling its contractual obligations to export fuel, despite mediareports to the contrary.Venezuela Is Denied Security Council Seat; New Vote Scheduled Todayas Intensive Campaign Fails to Win Two-Thirds of BallotsVenezuela was stymied Monday in its bid to win a seat on the U.N. SecurityCouncil, a result that shocked diplomats who had expected President Hugo