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As much as 50 companies look for United States oil licenses in Venezuela, authorities states

The U.S. has actually gotten up to 50 requests for specific licenses from business intending to do business in Venezuela's oil market, following the expiration of a general permission approved in 2015 to the sector, the chief of the U.S. objective for Venezuela said late on Wednesday.

The U.S. Treasury Department in mid-April said it would not restore the more comprehensive general license that had actually reduced constraints to conduct oil and gas company in Venezuela as the federal government had not met conditions for a competitive presidential election. Washington committed rather to releasing individual licenses for business in the oil sector.

Venezuela, which has the world's biggest proven crude reserves, stays under U.S. sanctions given that 2019 following President Nicolas Maduro's re-election, which was not acknowledged by the majority of Western countries.

Licenses are needed for a wide variety of energy activities consisting of investing, licensing oil exports and imports, exploring for oil and gas and negotiating agreements and payments.

Previously this month, France-based oil manufacturer Maurel & & Senior prom said it received one of those individual licenses to expand business with Venezuela's state oil business PDVSA , however numerous others are waiting on approval.

According to assistance by the U.S. State Department to Treasury, Washington intends to focus on issuing licenses to companies with existing oil output and properties over those seeking to enter the sanctioned OPEC nation for the first time, sources told recently.

There is a quantity of license requests, I believe in between 20 and 50. We are gradually evaluating them, Francisco Palmieri, Chief of the U.S. Objective for Venezuela, informed news site Efecto Cocuyo in an interview broadcast late on Wednesday.

The oil sector is extremely essential to reactivate Venezuela's. economy, however the most crucial thing of all is the election of. July 28th, Palmieri added.

He did not point out the petitioners' names or state if they. will be approved.

The requests include those of as much as 16 business that have. agreed to new or broadened oil and gas joint ventures with PDVSA,. officials in Venezuela have actually stated.

British oil major BP stated on Wednesday that. negotiations with Venezuela on an overseas gas task to be. shared with Trinidad and Tobago have been stopped briefly because the U.S. general license that authorized the talks expired.

Palmieri also stated that diplomatic channels with Maduro's. federal government stay open, consisting of talks on migration and the. economy. On the election, he said the U.S. anticipates massive. involvement and is hopeful that global groups will be. enabled to oversee the process.