Fire hits Petrocedeno crude project in Venezuela, sources, media say

CARACAS (Reuters) -A fire erupted on Wednesday at an oil project in Venezuela's eastern region where the crude upgrader Petrocedeno operates, according to local media and sources from state company PDVSA.

Crude upgraders along the Orinoco Belt, Venezuela's main oil producing region, are key to turning the country's extra heavy crude output into exportable grades.

An explosion was heard before the fire, which was near the upgrader's distillation tower, a worker from a nearby project said. The fire could have extended to a naphtha plant, according to another source.

Ambulances were heading to the site of the incident, a third source said, but no injured people have been reported officially. Workers were being evacuated from the project, according to local media.

PDVSA, which operates the project, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Reuters, writing by Marianna Parraga)

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