Cases / Oil spill · Venezuela · 2010–2026
Lake Maracaibo chronic oil leaks
Nature's voice · report
Slicks appeared on my surface in satellite images in September 2021, according to NASA Earth Observatory; oil comes from ageing, submerged pipelines.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record. Disputed
Recorded
- Ongoing spills at Barranquitas on my western shore covered more than 30 km2 at the start of 2023, according to Mongabay Latam. Mongabay Latam
- Methane of 1.2 (1.0–1.5) Tg a-1 was estimated to rise from my area in 2019, according to Nathan et al. (2024). Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, 6845–6863 (Nathan et al.)
- I am a permanently eutrophic lake, with green algae (Scenedesmus, Chlorella) and cyanobacteria blooms; a duckweed (Lemna obscura) bloom in 2004 lasted eight months, according to Eduardo Klein-Salas (NASA, 2021). NASA Earth Observatory
- High vanadium and lead levels in me were cited by a researcher quoted by Mongabay Latam (2023). Mongabay Latam
- My northern screamer (Chauna chavaria) and Zulia toad-headed turtle (Mesoclemmys zuliae) appear to be declining in the area, according to Mongabay (2021). Mongabay
- Fishers once caught about 1 tonne of fish a week on my waters and now catch about 300 kg, according to a 2016 Mongabay report cited by Mongabay Latam (2023). Mongabay Latam
- Dead marine species and a spill 'of severe magnitude' at Playa Los Poquitos were reported on my eastern shore on 28 September 2026. El Diario
- 1.2 km of my coastline were oiled.Shoreline declared clean by the government, 12 November 2023 (1,200 m).
What the record lacks: 7 none on record · 3 not disclosed · 1 insufficient · 1 self-reported only · 7 disputed See the gaps
Accounts of the harm differ
Whether spills in the lake continued in 2023
- Government and regulators Pedro Tellechea, Oil Minister and PDVSA president: There were 'almost zero' spills in the lake in 2023; any oil came from earlier leaks. Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)
- Communities and civil society Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela (via Voz de América): Counted 86 spills in the country in 2023, 40 of them in Zulia. Voz de América
- Researchers Eduardo Klein, Universidad Simón Bolívar (Mongabay Latam): At least five spills and gas leaks at the start of 2023; a Bachaquero spill had been leaking for more than five months. Mongabay Latam
Cause of the oil in the lake
- Company or project PDVSA (as reported by Mongabay Latam): Some spills were caused by sabotage. Mongabay Latam
- Researchers Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida (NASA): The oil comes from ageing, submerged pipelines that are not maintained, mostly not mapped; the spills are cumulative and have worsened without a government response. NASA Earth Observatory
Number of spills per year
- Company or project PDVSA reports (via Reuters): More than 8,000 spills in 2016 and about 11,492 in 2017; the 2017 report was removed soon after posting. Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)
- Researchers Essig and Severeyn (Mongabay Latam): Essig: more than 4,000 spills a year; Severeyn: about 300,000 barrels a year, with 'no precise estimate' possible. Mongabay Latam
- Communities and civil society Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela: 73 spills in the country by 30 November 2021; 86 in 2022; 86 in 2023. Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela
Oil leaks from ageing underwater pipelines and installations have been reported in Lake Maracaibo, Zulia state, for years, with new spills and gas leaks reported in September 2026. A clean-up plan announced in July 2023 came without a stated budget or timeline, and no compensation to fishers is on record.
None statedPublished budget for the clean-up plan announced in July 2023
Reuters (17 August 2023) reported that the plan came with no stated investment or timeline.
Reuters (17 August 2023) reported that the plan came with no stated investment or timeline.
Status As of September 2026: spills and gas leaks were reported again in six eastern-shore municipalities; no clean-up budget, fine or court judgment is on record.
What?
Oil leaks and gas releases from ageing underwater pipelines and installations in Lake Maracaibo, reported by NASA, scientists, NGOs and the press from 2021 to September 2026, and a government clean-up plan announced in July 2023 without a stated budget or timeline. Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)
Where?
Lake Maracaibo, Zulia state, north-western Venezuela (about 9.8 N, 71.6 W); eastern-shore municipalities Cabimas, Lagunillas, Miranda, Valmore Rodríguez, Baralt and San Francisco named in 2026. El Diario
When?
Slicks recorded by NASA in September 2021; spills reported at the start of 2023; clean-up plan announced late July 2023; spills reported again in September 2026. NASA Earth Observatory
Who?
Gained
None on recordLost
- Fishers on the lake — Nets and catch coated in crude (NASA, 2021); fishing gear damaged with no economic compensation from PDVSA (OEP, 2022) Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela
Harmed
- Lake Maracaibo — Slicks and methane emissions of 1.2 (1.0–1.5) Tg a-1 in 2019 (estimate); permanently eutrophic, with algal and cyanobacteria blooms NASA Earth Observatory
- Northern screamer and Zulia toad-headed turtle — Appear to be declining in the area (Mongabay, 2021) Mongabay
- Marine species on the eastern shore — Dead species reported on 28 September 2026 El Diario
Why?
NASA and researchers attribute the oil to ageing, submerged, poorly maintained pipelines; PDVSA has blamed some spills on sabotage. NASA Earth Observatory
How?
The government announced a clean-up plan in July 2023, replaced sections of pipeline (11 km to 220 km, depending on the source) and declared 1,200 m of shoreline clean; no budget was stated and no compensation to fishers is on record. Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
Lake Maracaibo, in Zulia state in north-western Venezuela, covers about 13,000 km2 and sits above one of the world's largest oil and gas reserves. According to NASA Earth Observatory (4 October 2021), thousands of wells have been drilled there since World War I, and the region produces about two-thirds of Venezuela's oil. Using MODIS, Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 images from September 2021, NASA reported that the region's oil infrastructure was seriously deteriorated and that slicks were a regular occurrence.
Eduardo Klein-Salas of Universidad Simón Bolívar told NASA that the lake has more than 10,000 oil-related installations and thousands of kilometres of underwater pipelines, mostly about 50 years old. Frank Muller-Karger of the University of South Florida said the oil comes from ageing, submerged pipelines that are not maintained and mostly not mapped. NASA cited reports estimating 40,000 to 50,000 oil leaks and spills across Venezuela, including the lake, between 2010 and 2016.
Mongabay Latam (24 January 2023) reported at least five spills and gas leaks in the lake at the start of 2023. Klein said a spill at Bachaquero had been leaking for more than five months, and ongoing spills at Barranquitas, on the western shore, covered more than 30 km2. Reuters reported on 17 August 2023 that the state oil company PDVSA had posted, then quickly removed, a report listing about 11,492 spills in 2017; its 2016 report, still online, counted more than 8,000 spills, four times the 1999 figure. The Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela (OEP) counted 73 spills in the country by 30 November 2021, 86 in 2022 (31 in Zulia) and 86 in 2023 (40 in Zulia).
In July 2023 President Maduro pledged to clean up western Lake Maracaibo; Reuters noted that no investment or timeline was stated. EFE reported on 25 August 2023 that 11 km of pipeline had been replaced so far (the article's lead gives 166 km), with a next phase of 66 km and 700 km planned. On 6 October 2023 PDVSA said it had replaced 220 km of a 700 km system. On 12 November 2023 the government declared 1,200 m of shoreline contaminated with oily waste clean (EFE, citing state broadcaster VTV).
On 28 September 2026 Fundación Azul Ambientalista reported spills and gas leaks in six eastern-shore municipalities of Zulia (Cabimas, Lagunillas, Miranda, Valmore Rodríguez, Baralt and San Francisco), including a spill 'of severe magnitude' at Playa Los Poquitos (Bachaquero) and dead marine species (El Diario, 29 September 2026). The group said it had seen no real action by the authorities or any report on the situation.
- 2010Reports cited by NASA estimate 40,000 to 50,000 leaks and spills across Venezuela between 2010 and 2016
- 2021NASA Earth Observatory publishes 'Troubled Waters' on slicks in the lake (4 Oct); OEP counts 73 spills in the country by 30 Nov
- 2022OEP counts 86 spills in the country, 31 of them in Zulia
- 2023Five spills and gas leaks reported at the start of the year (Jan); President Maduro announces a clean-up plan (Jul); EFE reports 11 km of pipe replaced (25 Aug); PDVSA says 220 km replaced (6 Oct); 1,200 m of shoreline declared clean (12 Nov); OEP counts 86 spills, 40 in Zulia
- 2026Fundación Azul Ambientalista reports spills and gas leaks in six municipalities (28 Sep)
What was said
Claims, in the words of those who made them.
“Maracaibo Lake has more than 10,000 oil-related installations.”
“aging, submerged pipelines that are not maintained, mostly not even mapped”
“are nothing to write home about because historically, they have always existed”
“The problem in Venezuela is that there is a total lack of official information about these events.”
“almost zero”
“Living on the beach went from being a dream come true to a nightmare.”
“We have seen no real action by the authorities or any report on this situation.”
“It was said five or six treatment plants would be reactivated, and today we see there are none.”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
Whether spills in the lake continued in 2023
Government and regulators
Pedro Tellechea, Oil Minister and PDVSA president
There were 'almost zero' spills in the lake in 2023; any oil came from earlier leaks.
Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)Communities and civil society
Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela (via Voz de América)
Counted 86 spills in the country in 2023, 40 of them in Zulia.
Voz de AméricaResearchers
Eduardo Klein, Universidad Simón Bolívar (Mongabay Latam)
At least five spills and gas leaks at the start of 2023; a Bachaquero spill had been leaking for more than five months.
Mongabay LatamCause of the oil in the lake
Company or project
PDVSA (as reported by Mongabay Latam)
Some spills were caused by sabotage.
Mongabay LatamResearchers
Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida (NASA)
The oil comes from ageing, submerged pipelines that are not maintained, mostly not mapped; the spills are cumulative and have worsened without a government response.
NASA Earth ObservatoryLength of pipeline replaced
Press and investigations
EFE via El Tiempo, 25 August 2023 (citing Néstor Reverol, head of the presidential commission)
11 km replaced so far; the lead gives 166 km; next phase 66 km; 700 km planned.
EFE (via El Tiempo)Company or project
PDVSA, via EFE, 6 October 2023
Replaced 220 km of pipeline out of a 700 km system.
EFE (via Finanzas Digital)Number of spills per year
Company or project
PDVSA reports (via Reuters)
More than 8,000 spills in 2016 and about 11,492 in 2017; the 2017 report was removed soon after posting.
Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)Researchers
Essig and Severeyn (Mongabay Latam)
Essig: more than 4,000 spills a year; Severeyn: about 300,000 barrels a year, with 'no precise estimate' possible.
Mongabay LatamCommunities and civil society
Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela
73 spills in the country by 30 November 2021; 86 in 2022; 86 in 2023.
Observatorio de Ecología Política de VenezuelaHow it looked
What was shown, beside what was recorded.
Shown
- There were 'almost zero' spills in the lake in 2023; any oil seen came from earlier leaksPedro Tellechea, Oil Minister and PDVSA president, to Reuters · Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)
- Any 'descomposición' (decomposition) in the lake was 'una cuestión visual' (a visual matter)Pedro Tellechea, as reported by Reuters (Spanish version, translated) · Reuters (via LM Neuquén)
- The change to flexible pipe 'will prevent crude leaks and reduce environmental impact'Jannier Viloria, PDVSA manager, 6 October 2023 (translated) · EFE (via Finanzas Digital)
- Some spills were caused by sabotagePDVSA, as reported by Mongabay Latam · Mongabay Latam
- 1,200 m of shoreline contaminated with oily waste declared cleanGovernment, 12 November 2023, as reported by EFE citing VTV (translated) · EFE (via Finanzas Digital)
Recorded
- NASA Earth Observatory (2021) reported seriously deteriorated oil infrastructure and regular slicks; fishers often find nets and catch coated in crude.
- PDVSA's 2016 report counted more than 8,000 spills, four times the 1999 figure; a report listing about 11,492 spills in 2017 was posted and then quickly removed (Reuters, 17 August 2023).
- OEP spill counts for the whole country: 73 by 30 November 2021; 86 in 2022 (Zulia 31, Falcón 29, Anzoátegui 14); 86 in 2023 (Zulia 40, Falcón 32, Anzoátegui 8, Monagas 2, Carabobo 1).
- Pipeline replacement totals reported in 2023: 11 km (EFE, 25 August; the lead gives 166 km) and 220 km of a 700 km system (PDVSA, 6 October).
- Methane emissions of 1.2 (1.0–1.5) Tg a-1 were estimated for the Lake Maracaibo area in 2019 (Nathan et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2024).
- Fishing gear is damaged 'sin que exista reparación económica por parte de la empresa estatal PDVSA' (with no economic compensation from the state company PDVSA), according to the OEP 2022 report.
- A resident cited by Inside Climate News (May 2026): 'Apparently, they put in actions to protect and sanitize the lake, but I don't know if it's helped at all.'
Who gained
Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.
Reached nature or the ground
Not published
Stated budget for the clean-up plan announced July 2023—
No investment or timeline was stated (Reuters, 17 August 2023).
Compensation to fishers for damaged fishing gear—
OEP 2022 report: no economic compensation from PDVSA.
Gained elsewhere
Not totalled
Analyst's estimate of the cost of repairing old pipes and installing gas capture estimate> $3bn
Nelson Hernández, quoted by Reuters (17 August 2023).
Currency: USD · Window: 2023–2026. All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.
Responses on record
- pdvsa (17 August 2023): Pedro Tellechea, Oil Minister and PDVSA president, said there were 'almost zero' spills in the lake in 2023 and attributed any oil to earlier leaks. · Reuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing)
- pdvsa (6 October 2023): PDVSA manager Jannier Viloria said the change to flexible pipe would prevent crude leaks and reduce environmental impact (translated). · EFE (via Finanzas Digital)
- venezuela-ministry-ecosocialism (June 2021): Minister Josué Lorca said spills 'are nothing to write home about because historically, they have always existed' (English translation as given by Mongabay). · Mongabay
- chevron (27 May 2026): Declined to answer questions about its role in the country's environmental problems. · Inside Climate News
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What nature saw
Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
Spills counted by the OEP, 2023
86
Whole country; 40 in Zulia
Stated clean-up budget
None
Plan announced July 2023 without investment or timeline (Reuters)
Compensation to fishers
None recorded
OEP 2022: gear damaged with no compensation from PDVSA
Methane, Lake Maracaibo area, 2019
1.2 Tg a-1
Range 1.0–1.5 (Nathan et al., 2024)
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
Money
- None on record Stated budget for the clean-up plan announced July 2023 — No investment or timeline was stated (Reuters, 17 August 2023).
- None on record Compensation to fishers for damaged fishing gear — OEP 2022 report: no economic compensation from PDVSA.
Court
- None on record No court case on record.
Accounts
- Disputed Length of pipeline replaced
Record
- None on record None on record: a published budget or timeline for the clean-up plan announced in July 2023 (Reuters, 17 August 2023).
- None on record None on record: compensation to fishers; the OEP 2022 report states that fishing gear is damaged with no economic compensation from PDVSA.
- None on record None on record: sanctions against PDVSA for spills in the lake; experts told Mongabay Latam (2023) that the government has not enforced existing norms or sanctioned the company.
- None on record None on record: a prosecution, fine or civil judgment over spills in Lake Maracaibo.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: barrels spilled, volumes and environmental impact; the OEP 2022 report states that the State provides no information on the real number of barrels spilled, their volume, or their socio-environmental impact.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: spill reports or data; Inside Climate News (2026) wrote that 'The country has not released oil spill reports or data in the last four years.'
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: spill records and verified damage; according to Quero (Mongabay Latam, 2023), neither the government nor PDVSA keeps spill records or verifies damage, and, according to Essig, PDVSA's contingency plan has not been updated since 1995.
- Disputed Figures differ: annual spill counts. PDVSA's own reports list more than 8,000 (2016) and about 11,492 (2017, posted then removed); Essig puts spills at more than 4,000 a year; Severeyn estimates about 300,000 barrels a year and says 'no precise estimate exists'; the OEP counted 86 in the country in 2023.
- Disputed Figures differ: pipeline replaced. EFE gave 11 km (25 August 2023) and, in the lead of the same article, 166 km; PDVSA gave 220 km of a 700 km system (6 October 2023).
- Disputed Figures differ: length of underwater pipelines. Essig cites about 28,000 km; Quero cites about 22,000 km of inactive crude and gas lines (Mongabay Latam, 2023).
- Self-reported only Self-reported only: pipeline replacement totals (PDVSA and the presidential commission) and the 1,200 m shoreline clean-up (government, via VTV and EFE); an independent check is not on record.
- Insufficient Insufficient: the OEP 2022 report leaves out the liabilities of 13,510 oil pits that existed in 2016 according to PDVSA's own socio-environmental balance.
Did the harm stop?
No. Spills and gas leaks were reported in the lake again on 28 September 2026.
Who paid?
None on record. No budget for the 2023 clean-up plan and no compensation to fishers are on record; the OEP reports fishing gear damaged with no economic compensation from PDVSA.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project✓ Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society✓ Researchers
Government and regulators
- Troubled WatersNASA Earth Observatory · 2021-10-04
Press and investigations
- Venezuela fails to curb oil leaks, gas flaring despite pledgesReuters (via Hydrocarbon Processing) · 2023-08-17
- Venezuela no logra frenar los derrames de petróleo y quema de gas (Venezuela fails to stop oil spills and gas flaring)Reuters (via LM Neuquén) · 2023-08-17
- PDVSA busca poner fin a filtraciones de petróleo en el Lago de Maracaibo (PDVSA seeks to end oil leaks in Lake Maracaibo)EFE (via Finanzas Digital) · 2023-10-06
- Gobierno declara saneados 1.200 metros de costa del Lago de Maracaibo (Government declares 1,200 metres of Lake Maracaibo shore clean)EFE (via Finanzas Digital) · 2023-11-13
- Oil spills plague Venezuelan coast, but cleanup efforts are lacking: ReportMongabay · 2021-10-04
- In Venezuela, Anxiety About Ramping Up Oil Production in the Heavily Polluted Lake Maracaibo RegionInside Climate News · 2026-05-27
Communities and civil society
- Situación socioambiental de Venezuela 2022 (Socio-environmental situation of Venezuela 2022)Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela · 2023-06
Researchers
- Assessing methane emissions from collapsing Venezuelan oil production using TROPOMIAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, 6845–6863 (Nathan et al.) · 2024-06-13
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