Venezuela Says Oil Installations Not Affected by Blackout

Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA said the OPEC nation's oil installations were not affected by a power blackout that struck large parts of the country on Monday night.

Venezuela's refineries, heavy crude upgraders and other oil facilities are fed by separate generating plants, not the national grid. The blackout plunged the capital, Caracas, and other cities into darkness.

"The oil industry is working completely normally and guarantees the supply of fuel to the national and international market," the company said in a statement.

A power blackout plunged the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and other cities around the nation into darkness.

Venezuela has been suffering periodic electricity cuts around the country for several years, although the capital has been spared the worst problems.

In September, when a blackout hit several cities, President Nicolas Maduro said that his political opponents may have been behind the difficulty. He had the armed forces called out to help ensure security while power was restored.