“Encouraging” Cuban Government Data on Oil Production
Is the increase in production real?
HAVANA TIMES – Recently, the official press and social media have highlighted statements by oil industry professionals representing the Western Oil Drilling and Extraction Company (EPEP Occidente) of CUPET.
“Cuba has made a strategic turn in its oil industry after years of declining production. The Caribbean country has managed to reverse the trend with the inclusion of technological innovations… The result: a production of two million tons of oil equivalent…” (TeleSURtv.net, September 7, 2025).
Oil Equivalent
The measure of “oil equivalent” reported by CUPET includes not only liquid oil but also associated natural gas. This metric allows for the comparison of energy from very different sources, such as crude oil (Mt) and natural gas (MMm³), by expressing them in the same unit. Unfortunately, this reporting method distorts the true level of national production of extra-heavy crude oil.
Crude Oil + Diluents
It is also important to clarify that CUPET measures the volume of its extra-heavy crude oil production not at the wellhead, but at the crude collection and treatment center.
The reported volume, as indicated by ONEI, Cuba’s Office of Statistics and Information, (“Includes blends of other derivatives added to the oil to reduce its viscosity.”), is mixed with naphtha and other light products to improve its viscosity and allow for pipeline transport to Matanzas and the Fuel Marketing Company. The volume reported by ONEI does not represent the actual production of extra-heavy crude oil.
Extra-Heavy Crude Oil Production
According to ONEI, the highest level of extra-heavy crude production, including diluents, was 3,679.8 Mt in 2003, compared to 2,311.1 Mt in 2023—a 37% drop (2003–2023).
The record for associated natural gas production was 1,244.5 MMm³ in 2015, compared to 970.0 MMm³ last year, 2024—a 22% drop (2015–2024).
Enhanced Recovery
The primary recovery factor for an extra-heavy crude oil reservoir in Cuba is extracted using mechanical pumping or natural energy, such as dissolved gas expansion, aquifer water pressure, gas expansion, or gravity.
Large amounts of oil and natural gas always remain underground, and to improve recovery rates, “enhanced recovery” techniques are used.
Enhanced recovery involves techniques to extract additional oil from a reservoir by injecting fluids or applying heat to increase reservoir pressure and reduce the viscosity of extra-heavy crude oil, making its displacement easier. This technique is currently being used at the Boca de Jaruco field by the Russian oil company Zarubezhneft in cooperation with Kazan Federal University.
Horizontal Drilling
Cuba’s extra-heavy crude oil and associated natural gas reservoirs are located in shallow waters along the northwestern coast. These reservoirs are drilled from land using horizontal drilling—a technology well known and extensively applied worldwide.
One of the longest horizontal oil wells in the world was 15,240 meters in the Upper Zakum field in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The longest horizontal oil well in Cuba, measuring 8,047 meters, was Varadero 1012 (VDW-1012), drilled by CUPET in 2024.
Congratulations
I applaud the professionals at CUPET for their efforts; however, I stress the importance of being clear, transparent, and rigorous in their presentations and operational and financial reports to ensure a correct evaluation of their tasks, techniques, and management.
*Jorge R. Piñón, Visiting Researcher, Energy Institute, University of Texas at Austin