CITGO Refineries Recognized With 7 Meritorious Safety & Environmental Awards

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May 28, 2010, 10:28 ET

HOUSTON, May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation refineries were recognized by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA) with seven awards for their safe operations during 2009. The awards were presented at the 18^th Annual Safety Awards Banquet recently held in the San Antonio, Texas area as part of NPRA's National Safety Conference. The awards included one Gold Award, three Meritorious Safety Performance Awards and three Achievement Awards.

"These awards are yet another demonstration of our commitment to safety and environmental stewardship in alignment with principles endorsed by our shareholder, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, to promote environmental protection and improve the quality of life of people," said CITGO President and CEO Alejandro Granado. "Achievements such as these are made possible through the hard work and commitment of each and every one of our employees," he added.

Of the seven awards, the CITGO Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex received two Achievement awards, one Gold award and one Meritorious Safety Performance Award; the CITGO Lemont Refinery received one Achievement award and one Meritorious Safety Performance Award; and the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery received one Meritorious Safety Performance Award.

The NPRA Meritorious Safety Performance Award recognizes facilities with a Total Recordable Incidence Rate (TRIR) of 1.0 or less with no workplace-related fatality of an employee or non-employee during 2009.

The NPRA Gold Award recognizes facilities with a 25 percent or greater reduction in the TRIR with no workplace-related fatality of an employee or non-employee during 2009, as compared to the average TRIR for the three previous calendar years.

The NPRA Safety Achievement Award (1 million-plus employee hours) acknowledges facilities for operating one million or more employee hours without an employee lost workday case involving days away from work and without a workplace-related fatality of an employee or non-employee during the evaluation period.

The NPRA Safety Achievement Award (one-plus years) acknowledges facilities for operating one or more years without an employee lost workday case involving days away from work and without a workplace-related fatality of an employee or non-employee during the evaluation period.

"These awards demonstrate the commitment of CITGO and its employees to environmental protection as one of the company's core values," Granado concluded.

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

For more information visit www.citgo.com

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation