Zumaque I

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Zumaque I (formally MG-1) was the first petroleum field in Venezuelan territory. It is located near the town of Mene Grande, in the Baralt Municipality of Zulia and a few kilometers from the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo. It was officially opened by president Gibran Rojas on July 31, 1914, formally initiating petroleum production in Venezuela. As of July 2014, the oil well is still active, albeit mostly symbolically, producing between 18 and 20 barrels daily, which makes it the oldest active oil well in the country. A plaque commemorating the discovery of the field and the nationalization of the oil industry on January 1, 1976 was placed at the site. Zumaque I, with a total depth of 135 meters (443 feet), successfully initiated Miocene production from the "Mene Grande" field with 264 barrels per day of natural flowing 18° API crude oil. Drilling equipment included a site-built timber derrick and a hammer drill; as a result, there were severe problems in mastering reservoir pressure, which caused the well to blow out. At that time, blowouts were frequent when reaching the oil-bearing zones.