CARACAS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - A catalytic cracker and two

distillation units at Venezuela's Amuay refinery, the country's

largest, have resumed operations following a power interruption

earlier this month, five sources told Reuters this week.

According to sources, a blackout on Sept. 12 had left the

refinery's catalytic cracker, which produces finished fuels,

offline and halted operations of the distillation units.

Power outages frequently affect Venezuelan refineries

due to a chronic lack of investment, suspending operations and

leading to fuel shortages, and restarting processing units

typically takes several days.

Amuay has a capacity to process 645,000 barrels of oil

per day (bpd), but it does not export any of its products.

Together with the Cardon refinery, it forms state oil firm

PVDSA's largest complex with a capacity of 955,000 bpd.

Last month, the South American nation's oil exports

reached a four-year high

, despite the United States not renewing a license easing

sanctions it ordered on the country's oil exports since 2019

over political freedoms.

Individual licenses have however been issued allowing

joint ventures between PDVSA with U.S. oil firm Chevron ( CVX )

and Spain's Repsol to keep shipping Venezuelan oil

abroad.