News on 6 source: Citgo jobs headed to Texas

As reported earlier this month, losing Citgo's 1,000 jobs would have a major impact on Tulsa. <br><br>If you talk to Citgo officials, the company is still considering whether to move its headquarters

Friday, September 5th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

As reported earlier this month, losing Citgo's 1,000 jobs would have a major impact on Tulsa.

If you talk to Citgo officials, the company is still considering whether to move its headquarters to Houston. News on 6anchor Tami Marler has been talking to others, who say it's all but a "done deal."

First of all, a Venezuelan newspaper reports Citgo's parent company, owned by the Venezuelan government, is considering putting Citgo in charge of its worldwide operations. If that happens, a move to Houston would make even more sense.

PDVSA's finance director says the move also depends on a pending incentives package from the state of Texas. Jose Morales says the company's board will ultimately make the call and an insider tells us the next meeting is scheduled for the end of this month.

A highly-placed executive, who - for obvious reasons - can't talk with the News on 6 on camera, but the source tells us, Antonio Rivero - Citgo's new Executive Vice President, already lives in Houston, and he's made a deal on some office space, where, according to our source, Citgo plans to move its headquarters by the end of the year.