PDVSA to increase production, by partnering with kingpin Samark Lopez

If there was ever a need for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to cement his bruttish image, the announcement of two days ago, regarding fresh deals to ramp up oil production between PDVSA and Well Services Cavallino C.A; Petro Kariña C.A.; Helios Petroleum Services C.A.; Shandong Kerui Group; Consorcio Rinoca Centauro Karina; Consorcio Petrolero Tomoporo and Venenca, did the trick just fine. No specialised media outlet, industry pundit, much less Venezuela's non-existent opposition, have questioned PDVSA's choice of partners. Venenca (Venezolana de Enfriadores C.A.), for instance, is controlled by OFAC-designated kingpin Samark Lopez Bello and associates/relatives, the Chacin Bello brothers (Jose Esteban and Enrique) and Alessandro Biagini Bello. No wonder Samark's boss, Tareck el Aissami, took part in Maduro's "agreement" announcement.

Maduro announced a projected increase of some 641,000 BPD. Lopez and co are expected to raise output of Carito-Pirital field through investment expected to run into the hundreds of million.

Petro Kariña C.A., in turn, will develop the Sanvi Guere field.

Take a look at Petro Kariña C.A. website. Its contact details are listed as:

El Tigre, Anzoátegui. Zona Postal 6050
+58 412 6045335
petrok2017@yandex.com

The yandex email, presumably created in 2017, and the telephone number, a cel phone in Venezuela whose whatsapp profile can be seen on the right, gives Petro Kariña C.A. every bit of a reassuring image of professionalism and efficiency, in oil-production matters, to this PDVSA-Petrobras-Inversora Mata (Argentina) joint venture.

Well Services Cavallino C.A. is another briefcase company, just like Helios Petroleum Services C.A., a bearer shares Panamanian company controlled by a Fabio Ghilli, in turn connected to something called FAVE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS, LLC in Florida. Helios' UBO is Jesus Vidal Salazar, a proxy of Diosdado Cabello.

Helios' U.S. subsidiary is managed by an Elizabeth Chaves. Helios lists a telephone number on its website shared by two other "oil services companies": Us Oil & Gas Pipelines LLC and Colorado Oil Supply.

The announced partnerships are Nicolas Maduro / PDVSA answer to desperately needed increment in production.