The company responsible for the Varadero-Matanzas pipeline confirmed that the break located at kilometer 6 of the Cidra road, in the Las Marías Council, province of Matanzas, has been sealed. An oil spill had kept authorities and local residents on alert and highlighted the fragility of the pipes, which were built under the regulations of the former Soviet Union.
The contingency brigades managed to extract and contain 45 cubic meters of spilled oil, according to the official account "With Everyone, Victory", associated with the provincial government of Matanzas.
The repair took 23 uninterrupted hours of work and involved the participation of four companies from the CUPET group: the Hydrocarbons and Derivatives Transportation Company (EMCOR), the Oil and Gas Drilling and Extraction Company (EPEP), the Fuel Transportation Company (Transcupet), and the Oil Services Company (Emserpet).
According to a report by CUPET, the workers had to intervene in pipelines built under old regulations that are incompatible with current international standards, and in highly hazardous conditions due to the emission of gases from Cuban crude oil, which has a high flammability potential.
The malfunction directly affected the crude oil supply to the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, the largest in the country, located in Matanzas, with potential negative impact on the National Electroenergetic System.
The Varadero-Matanzas pipeline, which has been in operation since the year 2000, is 75 kilometers long and 20 inches in diameter, and serves as the main supply line for crude oil to that generating plant.
La Guiteras accumulated at least 17 outages from the national electrical system during 2026, the last one recorded in July due to a leak in the economizer of its boiler, before resuming generation in August with 190 MW.
The cleaning and drainage operation remains active in the Las Marías Council, while environmental teams assess the extent of the impact on the soils in the affected area.
The incident occurs in a context of structural energy crisis: Cuba produces barely 40,000 barrels per day, compared to the 90,000 or 110,000 needed to sustain its electrical system, making any disruption in the pipeline a direct threat to national generation.
The oil infrastructure in Matanzas has been the scene of multiple serious incidents in recent years, including the oil spill recorded in May 2025 at the old José Martí thermoelectric plant, and the replacement of a deteriorated section of pipelines in the provincial energy infrastructure in June 2026.
Related videos:
Filed under: