VENEZUELA TO ANNOUCE PARTNER FOR COAL VENTURE
Petroleos de Venezuela S.A will
announce within two weeks the name of a foreign consortium it
has chosen to help exploit the coal deposits at Guasare in
western Zulia state, PDVSA president Juan Chacin Guzman said.
    Chacin told reporters the foreign partner will provide
capital as well as technical and marketing expertise to the
Carbozulia project, which the state oil company will manage.
    PDVSA officials said that among those who bid for the
partnership is a consortium between Agip Carbone, a subsidiary
of Italy's Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI), and Atlantic
Richfield <ARC> of the United States.
    Minister of Energy and Mines Arturo Hernandez Grisanti said
discussions are currently taking place to finalize the terms of
the contract with the foreign partner.
    PDVSA vice-president Pablo Reimpell said last week the
first shipment of coal from the Carbozulia project should be
made during the final quarter of 1987, and would measure
between 100-150,000 metric tons.
    Plans call for production to eventually reach 500,000 mt
annually. Reimpell said the original investment in the project
will be approximately 8 billion bolivars.
 Reuter
