REMEDIATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, LAKE MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lake Maracaibo in western Venezuela is one of the major oil-producing areas of the world with over 12,000 platforms connected by 15,100 km of pipeline, capable of producing 3 million barrels/day. To expedite oil export, the entrance to the lake was dredged beginning in 1938 and reached its present depth (14 m or 45 ft) in 1960 to permit the utilization of Lakemax oil tankers. The deeper channel, however, also altered the water quality of the lake, principally raising salinity and influencing the development of an anoxic zone. Several solutions to these changes have been suggested including reclosure of the channel, therefore excluding tankers. This multiyear study focused on determining the quantity and sources of contaminants entering Lake Maracaibo, and then applied several computer models to determine short- and long-term changes in water quality due to modifications of the entry channel and in contaminant loadings. The final part of the study included development and cost analysis of alternative pathways to continue the transport of oil, coal, petrochemicals, and general cargo to and from the lake. Results indicate that the oil industry contribution to contamination is minor compared to that from domestic discharges at the north end and from river inputs to the south, and that changes in channel configuration (including restoration to the predredged condition) do not improve water quality significantly. A concerted effort is needed to reduce land-based contamination to ensure any sustained improvement of the lake's water quality.