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Product
Junin Crude
Insight Articles
#PS714
Main Product
Crude Oil
Segment
Extractive Industry Products
Main-Family
Fossil Hydrocarbons
Sub-Family
Liquid Feedstock
Physical State

Liquid

Description

Junín crude is an extra-heavy crude oil produced from the Junín blocks in Venezuela's Orinoco Belt, with API gravity ranging from 8 to 10 degrees. This extremely viscous crude contains high sulfur content (4-6%), elevated nitrogen levels, and other contaminants, making it one of the most challenging petroleum grades to process.​

The crude requires blending with light condensate or naphtha diluents immediately after extraction to reduce viscosity for pipeline transport over 200 kilometers to upgrading facilities at the José Industrial Complex (Complejo Petroquímico Hugo Chávez). Production typically involves steam injection and progressing cavity electric pumps due to the reservoir's high permeability (up to 30 darcys) and porosity (28-34%) characteristics.​

When upgraded through energy-intensive processes involving delayed coking and hydrotreating, Junín crude can be converted into synthetic light sweet crude (such as Zuata Sweet with 32° API and 0.07% sulfur) or blended into Venezuela's primary export grade Merey-16 crude (16° API, 2.45% sulfur).

 

Sources: Venezuelanalysis, Con El Mazo Dando, Yahoo, SYCAR LLC

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Identifiers

No Identifiers defined

Chemical- / Crude Data
Sulfur Content (wt%)
5
Specific Gravity
1.01
API Gravity
9
Country
Crude Data
API Gravity
9
Country
Product Settings
Default
Status
A
Content provided by
Transaction Name Date
Modified by UserPic   Kokel, Nicolas 12/31/2025 8:07 PM
Added by UserPic   Kokel, Nicolas 12/31/2025 8:06 PM