Quiriquire
Town in Monagas State, Venezuela
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quiriquire is a town in Monagas State, Venezuela, and the capital of Punceres Municipality. According to the 2011 census, the town had a population of 28,069 inhabitants. The local economy is dominated by activity around the Quiriquire oilfield, one of the historically important hydrocarbon-producing areas of north-eastern Venezuela.[1]
Geography
Quiriquire lies in the north-central part of Monagas State, to the south-south-west of Caripito and to the north-north-west of the state capital, Maturín.[2] The surrounding area is part of the eastern slopes of the Cordillera de la Costa range and contains several natural hot springs.
The local fauna includes the venomous scorpion Tityus caripitensis, whose presence has been documented in epidemiological studies on scorpion envenomation in nearby El Limón de Quiriquire.[3] The praying mantis Paraphotina insolita has also been described from specimens collected in the locality.[4]
Economy
One of the principal economic activities is the exploitation of the Quiriquire oilfield, operated through the state oil industry. In 2006 the Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company PDVSA and the Spanish energy company Repsol formed the joint venture Petroquiriquire to increase oil output at the field.[5][6] The town hosts a branch of the Banco de Venezuela, which provides financial services to the local population and the oilfield workforce.[2]
Points of interest
Notable local landmarks include the Monumento a la identidad de Punceres, a monument to the identity of the municipality of Punceres located in the town, and the thermal springs known as Los Baños.[2]
Local radio media include the stations Puncereña 92.5 FM and La Voz del Valle 93.1 FM, alongside online outlet ProNoticias24.[2]
See also
- Punceres Municipality
- Monagas
- Petroleum industry in Venezuela