Charco Azul
Encyclopedia
Charco Azul is an area just outside Puerto Armuelles Panama
. Charco Azul translates to blue ditch or puddle because it is very deep. Take a few steps into the ocean
and where on a normal beach
you might be up to your knees the water
is above your head. The ocean floor drops off dramatically in a very steep slope which creates an ideal spot for a port
. This is what the engineers decided who chose Charco Azul for the site of a dock to bring in supertankers.
At only 300 feet long, many ship
captains of these giant supertankers worried that they would run aground, but one did come in and found the water is deep. In fact one can see deep-water
fish
swimming just underneath the dock. Since the late 1970s, Charco Azul has been helping get the oil
from Alaska
down to the refineries
of Houston and the Gulf coast. Once just a stopping spot for supertankers to unload and Panamax
tankers to load, today only the supertankers visit. In 1982, the pipeline
to transport the oil
across to the Atlantic was completed despite strict rules of how it was to be built to discourage its building. Now run by Petroterminales of Panama (PTP), this oil terminal and the end of the oil pipeline has been coveted by Hugo Chavez
for shipping his Venezuela
n Crude to China
, but now seems destined to be part of a new refinery
to be built nearby. Occidental (OXY) said by the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008 they will finish their feasibility study
regarding the possibility of building a petroleum
refinery
in Puerto Armuelles.
So if you're ever in Puerto Armuelles, Panama
ask a local to take you to Charco Azul and do some deep
-sea
fishing
from the shore.
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. Charco Azul translates to blue ditch or puddle because it is very deep. Take a few steps into the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
and where on a normal beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
you might be up to your knees the water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
is above your head. The ocean floor drops off dramatically in a very steep slope which creates an ideal spot for a port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
. This is what the engineers decided who chose Charco Azul for the site of a dock to bring in supertankers.
At only 300 feet long, many ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
captains of these giant supertankers worried that they would run aground, but one did come in and found the water is deep. In fact one can see deep-water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
swimming just underneath the dock. Since the late 1970s, Charco Azul has been helping get the oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
down to the refineries
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
of Houston and the Gulf coast. Once just a stopping spot for supertankers to unload and Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
tankers to load, today only the supertankers visit. In 1982, the pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
to transport the oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
across to the Atlantic was completed despite strict rules of how it was to be built to discourage its building. Now run by Petroterminales of Panama (PTP), this oil terminal and the end of the oil pipeline has been coveted by Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
for shipping his Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n Crude to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, but now seems destined to be part of a new refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
to be built nearby. Occidental (OXY) said by the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008 they will finish their feasibility study
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
regarding the possibility of building a petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
in Puerto Armuelles.
So if you're ever in Puerto Armuelles, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
ask a local to take you to Charco Azul and do some deep
Deep
-In film and television:* The Deep , a 1970 unfinished film directed by Orson Welles* The Deep , a 1977 film directed by Peter Yates, based on the novel by Peter Benchley...
-sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
from the shore.