http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/06/201062444433322782.html
Thursday, June 24, 2010
10:04 Mecca time, 07:04 GMT
Caracas to take over US-owned rigs
Chavez's socialist revolution has led to banking and power assets
being nationalised [AFP]
Venezuela has said that it will nationalise 11 oil rigs owned by a US company.
The takeover of the rigs, owned by the Helmerich and Payne oil firm, is the
most recent move in a programme of nationalisation as part of the socialist
'Bolivarian revolution' of Hugo Chavez, the president.
The rigs have been out of use for months due to a dispute over payments by
PDVSA, the state oil company.
Helmerich and Payne, which owns other rigs in the country, had said that it
would not work at the sites until they were paid the $49 million it was owed.
It did not immediately comment on the planned nationalisation.
Rafael Ramirez, the Venezuelan oil minister, said on Thursday that the
facilities were being taken over to bring them back into production.
'Weakening government'
Ramirez said that firms like Helmerich and Payne who had refused to put their
rigs into production were aiming to weaken the government.
"There is a group of drill owners that has refused to discuss tariffs and
services with PDVSA and have preferred to keep this equipment stored for a
year," he said.
"That is the specific case with US multinational Helmerich and Payne."
Venezuela has suffered a reduction in oil output since 2008.
Despite having significant oil reserves the country is undergoing economic
struggles, with power shortages and low food resources affecting Chavez's
promises to pull people out of poverty.
His government has nationalised telecommunications, power and steel firms
during the last three years.
The government also nationalised Banco Federal, a mid-sized bank, last week
giving the state control of 25 per cent of the banking sector.
Legislative elections are to be held in September and Chavez needs to reverse
popularity losses due to Venezuela's recession before then
Oil-giants such as Halliburton, Schlumberger and Baker Hughes also work in
Venezuela, although the former pair have avoided public disputes with the
government.
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