Isla Refinery. (Willemstad)

Netherlands Antilles / Curacao / Willemstad
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The Isla refinery was started by the Curaçaosche Petroleum Industrie Maatschappij CPIM, a Shell daughter, in 1918, to process oil from the Venezuelan Lake of Maracaïbo. At the same time, Standard Oil set up the Aruba Lago refinery. (The Venezuelan president preferred this over a power concentration around Maracaïbo.) After some ups and downs, the refinery got into high gear with World War II. The Allied forces in North Africa and the Allied air forces in Great Britain were supplied with oil products from Curaçao only. This resulted in a fabulous boom in economy and population. Many workers immigrated from other countries in the region. Curaçao harbor was in the top ten of the world qua tonnage.
The Isla refinery was located on an island in the Schottegat of Curaçao harbor. One result was heavy air pollution downwind and oil pollution in the three harbors and the adjoining coasts. It doesn't need explaining that the immigration wave, the visiting sailors and the American forces stationed on the island had an enormous influence on the sleepy, kind and tranquil island society.
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Coordinates:   12°7'50"N   68°55'52"W

Comments

  • This text was copied from http://www.vrcurassow.com/
  • Did someone mention that it's now operated by the PDVSA...
This article was last modified 15 years ago