NICARAGUAN PETROLEUM FACILITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91T01115R000100150002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 1, 1984
• Content Type: REPORT

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Uirecrorate of
Intelligence
7'op Secret
Nicaraguan Petroleum
Facilities (s)
Top Secret
IA 84-/00/9C
Morch 1984
Copy L~
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Warning Notice Intelligence Sources
or Methods Involved
(WNINTEL)
National Security Unauthorized Disclosure
Information Subject to Criminal Sanctions
Dissemination Control NOFORN (N F) Not releasable to foreign nationals
Abbreviations NOCONTRACT (NC) Not releasable to contractors or contractor/consultants
Dissemination and extraction of information
controlled by originator
A microfiche copy of this docu-
ment is available from OCR/
DLB~ printed co ies
from CPAS/IMC~
This information ha> been authorized for release to...
Foreign government information
Declassify: OADR
Derived from IPM
reports in either microfiche U-UMBRA
or printed form can also be
arranged through CPAS/IMC.
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Directorate of
~. Intelligence
Nicaraguan Petroleum
Facilities (s)
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Top Secret
Nicaraguan Petroleum
Facilities (s)
Sununary
Nicaragua depends on imports for 100 percent of its oil needs for
both military and civilian uses. Crude oil shipments are
offloaded at Puerto Sandino on the Pacific coast and transported
by pipeline to Managua where Nicaragua's only refinery is lo-
cated. Imported petroleum products such as diesel fuel, petro-
chemicals, and lubricating oils are offloaded at the Pacific port
of Corinto. Tank trucks transport refined products from Corinto
and the Managua refinery to civilian and military POL storage
facilities throughout western and central Nicaragua, and to the
river port of Rama in the eastern part of the country. From
Rama, the refined products are shipped to the Caribbean ports of
El Bluff, Puerto Isabel, and Puerto Cabezas.
Military PUL Storage facilities that have been identified in
Nicaragua fall into two categories--regional depots that probably
function a~ strategic reserves ana small depots at military
installations and airfields. We have identified two regional
depots--at La Union for the northwestern military regions and at
Catarina for the southwestern military regions--and a third
reyional depot may be under construction at an unknown location.
Small POL depots Leave been identified in six of Nicaragua's seven
military districts--at the military region headquarters, at bat-
talion garrisons, or at both locations. Small depots have also
been identified at Nicaragua's three major military airfields and
two smaller ones.
The above information is Secret) 25X1
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Top Secret
i A /'11x1
~?
~,aOn/Fa
-~ Puerto Ismael
~~~
~ ~~
~, ~~
~Gre ,Ae e'M~1a9 ,~ ~~
i' PLO s
POL Ship & Barge
5 y~,a .Transshipment Route- ~ ~
RjO, ~ 1 ~~
,;a 9:. qn fi~lfuul
rixr~ xfly ~thaiq
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Transport Facilities
Nicaragua has no crude oil production and has only one small oil
refinery at Managua. As a result, it imports all of its crude
oil and most of its petroleum products. Nicaraguan forecasts for
1984 estimate the importation of 3,290,000 barrels (bbl) of crude
oil from Mexico, with an additional 823,000 bbl supplied by the
Soviet Union. Refined petroleum products imports from both
countries are estimated at 469,000 bbl during 1984. All crude
oil enters Nicaragua at Puerto Sandino, which is 52 kilometers
{km) west of Managua on the Pacific coast (figure 1). The crude
oil is offloaded from deep draft tankers, through a single-point
mooring buoy located 3,600 meters offshore, to two 150,000-bbl
storage tanks onshore. Bunker C fuel oil is also offloaded here
for use at the nearby Point Tiscuco thermal power plant. (S 25X1
From Puerto Sandino, prude oil is transported to the Managua
Refinery through a 56-kilometer-long pipeline that is 15 centi-
meters in diameter. This pipeline i5 mostly above ground and
passes through open terrain south of the cities of La Paz Centro,
Nagarote, and Mateare. there are tw25X1
pumping stations on this pipeline--one at Puerto Sandino and one
at the refinery--whicY~ can reportedly pump 17,000 to 19,000 bbl a
day through the pipe in depending on temperature and crude oil
characteristics. (S ~ ~~ 25X1
The i~ianagua Refinery is located 1 kilometer west of Managua and
occupies 6.4 hectares of land (figure 2). Although built and
maintained by Esso, this refinery is now operated by Petronic,
the Nicaraguan state oil com_nany. The main products of this
refinery are gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene, jet fuel, fuel oil,
propane, lubricating oils, butane, and asphalt. The refinery has
a designed production capacity of 15,000 b Pn
January and July 1983 production was reported 25X1
be 13,050 bbl a day, and by December 1983 had fallen to 11,866
bbl a day. Continued insurgent attacks on the Puerto Sandino POL
terminal and the uncertain quantity and availability of crude oil
imports could cause a further decline in production. (S 25X1
Petroleum products are imported through the port of Corinto,
which is 110 km northwest of Managua on the Pacific coast (figure
3). Although the predominant import is diesel fuel, lesser a-
mounts of gasoline, kerosene, lubricating oils, and petro-
chemicals are also imported. Imagery shows that the Esso and
Shell oil companies currently maintain about 401,400 bbl of total
storage capacity at Corinto. (S 25X1
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Top Secret
'Phe iKasachapa POL terminal is located about b0 km southwest of
Managua and has not been used since about 1974. The offshore
transloading facilities are similar to those at Puerto S andino.
The Sandinistas had reportedly discussed with US oil company
officials reactivating the terminal to supplement the petroleum
facilities at Puerto Sandino and Corinto, but as of January 1984
the Sandinistas were no longer actively pursuing the idea. The
tanks at the facility, damaged in a 7 January insurgent attack,
as well as all seals, support equipment, and the underwater
pipeline, would have to be tested and repaired. Because of the
number of unknown factors involved, it is not possible to
esti;nate how long it would take for the facility to be re-
turbished, should the Sandinistas reconsider reactivation. (S~25X1
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A fleet of more than 30 tank trucks transports oil products from
Corinto and the t~ianagua Refinery to storage facilities in western
and central Nicaragua (figure 4 and table 7_). For distribution
along the east coast, refined products are trucked overland to
the river port of Rama, in eastern Nicaragua. Rama is on the Rio
Escondido about 60 km from the Caribbean. At Rama, the petroleum
products are transloaded onto barges or one of two shallow-draft
tankers, the Rama and the Laureano Mairena which are owned by the
Nicaraguan government (figure 5). The vessels move downriver to
the Caribbean where they offload cargo at coastal POL terminals
at El t3luff, Puerto Cabezas, and Puerto Isabel. (TS~~ 25X1
The terminals at El Bluff and Puerto Cabezas serve as regional
distribution points for fuel for coastal freighters and fishing
boats, as well as for diesel and cooking fuf~ls used by the local
population (figures G and 7). Puerto Cabezas is also a trans-
loading point for petroleum products destined for the Puerto
Cabezas military units and airfield. The r,l Bluff facilities
have about 55,500 bbl of storage capacity and those at Puerto
Cabezas have about 41,50) bbl of storage. (S ~~ 25X1
Despite its small size, the town of Puerto Isabel is economically
important as the gateway to Nicaragua's gold mining industry.
Diesel fuel offloaded at Puerto Isabel is shipped 72 km up the
trio Prinzapolka to Ala;ni.camba. From Alamikamba the fuel is
transported by truck to the gold mines at ?~iuna, La Rosita, and
Bonanza in northeastern Nicaragua. (S ~~ 25X1
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Top Secret
Figure 4
Nicaraguan Military Regions, Civilian and Military POL Facilities
.La Tronquera
~~~ ~i,~aield
Go//o de ~~` ~W` ~.
Fo~se~e ~ ~ I ~ ~~-~~
~= Villanueva ~
?
Los Llanos
EI Regate
?
~ Leon
Corinto~; ~
P erto SandingV'
Pacific ~cean
~~.
? Matagalpa
~,~..., ~ 4c'
!' ? La Union ~~
Tipitapa
~` Managua,'
Montelimar Airfleld~ ~~ s
Masachapa ~ f
NICARAGUA
o Civilian POL Storage
? Military POL Storage
? Military Airfield
Puerto Cabezas.` ~
~~
`a ~ ~' ~~ Puerto Cabezas
?'~uadelupe Moreno ~ Airfield
Military School ?i
Puerto Isabel -j
~?=~~ ,~ il, Caribbean
Sea
fJ it
~ ~~
EI BIUf~EI Bluff Airfield,
~~/
San Juan del Su~
0 25 50 Kilometers
h ~
0 25 50 Miles
M~~?
RHO Rama`-
1
San Carlos
\ ~R
Sa
_...1~ ~a
~~1~
:;: rca... ~~ ~U
AYgFi .. Y 1h
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Top Secret
Table 1
CSvilian POL Facilities in Nicaragua
Rana POL Terminal
12-11-OUN 84-14-4567
r:l :31uff Purt cacilities
11-59-30N 83-41-17W
Puerto Cabezas Port Facilities 4
14-01-O1N d3-22-59W
Crude oil and Bunker C
fuel oil for Point
~'iscuco power plant.
Combined crude and refined
oil storage.
An insurgent attack on 10 October
1983 destroyed or damaged 7
tanks, reducing capacity by 2 5X1
70,000 barrels.
Puerto Isabel
(Puerto Benjamin Zeladon)
13-21-SSN 33-34-15
San Juan Del Sur
11-14-58N 85-52-34'W
An insurgent attack on 2 October
1983 destroyed or damaged 3
tanks, reducing capacity by 7,739
barrels.
Sandino Civil POL Storage
12-OS-30N #16-10-07W
Masachapa POL Terminal
11-48-15N 86-30-40W
'Phis terminal, inactive since
1974, was once the primary
port of entry for refined oil
products.
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Top Secret
Military Storage Facilities
Military POL storage in Nicaragua consists of two large regional
storage depots and smaller depots that are located at military
region headquarters, battalion garrisons, and military airfields.
The two regional storage depots, which are probably used for
strategic fuel reserves, have a combined capacity of about 65,000
bbl, The La Union POL depot is 69 25X1
north of Managua and serves the northwestern military regions
(figure 8). it was constructed in late 1981 and has 100 earth-
covered, cylindrical PuL tanks ,with a total capacity of about
34, 500 bbl. Ttie other depot is 32 km south of Managua near the
town of C atarina and was still under construction w~~en last
observed At that time we saw 89 cylindrical 25X1
PuL tanks with a total capacity of about 31,000 b~L~,e tanks
were in revet;neiits but were not earth covered. (S 25X1
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Top Secret
Military PJL storage facilities have been identified in six of
Nicaragua's seven military regions at either the military region
headquarters, at battalion garrisons, or at both locations (table
2). We have not identified any POL storage facilities in Mili-
tary Region 3, which includes the city of Managua. There
probably is POL storage at the military region headquarters and
at other garrisons near Managua, but the POL tanks could not be
seen on imagery. The military POL storage areas in the other six
military regions each consist of two to five cylindrical POL
tanks with a combined capacity of 55 to 1,714 bbl. (S
Similar POL facilities nave been identified at t'ne three major
airfields used by the military--Sandino near Managua, Montelimar,
and Puerto Cabezas--and at two smaller ones. The airfield
storage areas contain from three to 20 cylindrical tanks with a
total capacity of between 108 and 6,900 bbls. The POL storage
capacities at Puerto Cabezas and Montelimar Airfields are con-
siderably more than is needed by the aircraft currently using
them. This excess capacity would be essential for any expanded
use of the airfields that the Sandinistas may contemplate, such
as acquiring and operating jet fighters in Nicaragua, or simply
increasing the number of aircraft operating out of each airfield.
The facility at Puerto Cabezas may also serve as the regional
storage depot for northeastern Nicaragua. (S
Most of the military POL storage areas that have been identified
contain 345-bbl, cylindrical tanks that are produced
in Tipitapa, which is 16 km east of Managua.
109 of these tanks were seen at the fabrica
at a plant
tion plant.
only 19 were still present, indicating that at
least 90 tanks had been shipped from the plant. We have not
subsequently identified any new tanks at any known Nicaraguan POL
facility. The large number of tanks that have not been accounted
for suggests that a third regional storage depot is being con-
structed at an unknown location. (S
Insurgent Attacks
Anti-Sandinista insurgents have made five successful attacks
against POL targets in Nicaragua. The Puerto Sandino terminal
facilities have been attacked twice and the storage tanks at
C orinto, M asachapa, and Puerto Isabel have each been raided once.
(S
'~FY~
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Top Secret
Table 2
Military POL Storage Facilities in Nicaragua
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Top Secret
Table 2
Military POL Storage Facilities in Nicaragua (coutiuued)
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I I
Number Total
of Tanks S torage
Capacity
(barrels)
Montelimar Airfield 15 5, 595
11-48-15N 86-30-40W
La Tronquera Airfield 3 1,023
14-33-49N 84-00-38W
El Bluff Airfield 4 107
11-59-30N 83-41-17W
The offshore POL transfer facilities at Puerto Sandino were at-
tacked on 6 September and again on 14 October 1983. The first
attack was against the mooring buoys and the floating portion of
the pipleline and the second attack was against the underwater
portion of the pipeline. The damage from both attacks apparently
was easily repaired. (S ~~
On 10 October 1983,
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anti-Sandinista insurgents attacked Corinto,
and that three of the 56 storage 25X1
tanks were destroyed and four others were damaged (figure 2).
This resulted in the loss -~f about 70,000 bbl of storage or 17
percent of the port's total capacity. The diesel storage capaci-
ty of Corinto was restored within two weeks, however by using
tanks which had been used for other products. (S ~~ 25X1
The Masachapa POL terminal was attacked by insurgents on 7 Jan-
uary 1984. oil storage tanks as we1125X1
as a beach club belonging to the Nest German Embassy were damaged
in the attack. Phe damage, whici~ could not be confirmed from
iinagery, will 'nave little effect on Nicaragua's oil storage ca-
pacity because the facility is not in use. (S 25X1
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Analysis (revealed that a 24 Auyust
insurgent attack on Puerto Isabel destroyed or severely damaged
three of the six POL tanks and the pier which carried the trans-
loading pipeline offshore (figure 9). The three destroyed tanks
had a combined capacity of 7,739 bbl. The other three tanks with
a combined capacity of 2, 467 bbl received superficial damage but
appeared to be usable. Imagery of early January 1984 shows that
no repairs have been made to Puerto Isabel. Operation of the
gold mines depends on the use of diesel generators, and such a
loss of storage capacity could seriously affect Nicaraguan gold
production, gold production netted
Nicaragua about 15 million dollars in foreion exchanoe in 19R?..
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Top Secret
Top Secret
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