Venezuela








Energy Markets

Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas

Venezuelan oil exports are on the increase as more cargoes go to China

According to shipping documents and data, Venezuela exported 844,000 barrels of crude oil and fuel per day in June. This is an 8% rise from the previous months, as more cargoes were sent to China to offset the loss of U.S. markets and European ones. Washington terminated in late May a grouping of licenses which had authorized partners, such as Chevron and Repsol of the oil company PDVSA to transport Venezuelan crude for U.S. or European refineries. Since then, the state-owned firm has increased its exports to Asia. It sells its crude oil and fuels through little-known middlemen who make...

Oil & Gas

Gold Reserve asks for clarification on US license protecting Citgo

Gold Reserve filed an urgent request to a Delaware court asking for clarification on a License Venezuela-owned U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum will pay its creditors even if a court auction is held, the company announced on Tuesday. The Delaware court has advanced to Complete the Auction Citgo Holdings, the parent company of Citgo, is offering shares to up to 15 creditors to compensate them for defaults on debts and expropriations. The winner of the bidding round is expected to be chosen by July 2. Gold Reserve Canada, one of the creditors participating in the auction, and also a buyer, has...

Oil Refineries

US Judge extends Citgo's auction schedule and moves final hearing to august

According to a Wednesday filing, a U.S. court in Delaware has moved the final hearing of the sale process to August 18th. The auction will be held by the Delaware Superior Court. Multiple delays have been experienced in the eight-year long court case aimed at compensating Venezuelan creditors for defaulted debts and expropriated assets. The first round of bidding last year did not satisfy the majority of companies who expected to receive cash proceeds. Citgo is the seventh largest refiner in the United States. It's owned by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. In the second round of bidding, the court...

Oil & Gas

US Judge extends the topping period for Citgo Parent's auction to June 2

According to a Tuesday filing, a U.S. Federal Judge has extended until at least June 2, the deadline for rival bidders to enter bids during a court-organized sale of shares of Citgo Petroleum's parent company. Citgo Petroleum is owned by Venezuela. Last month, Delaware Judge Leonard Stark accepted a $3.7billion offer from Contrarian Funds affiliate Red Tree Investments, as the opening bid for the auction of shares. The auction was intended to compensate 15 creditors who were affected by debt defaults and expropriations. Red Tree and other rival consortia were given until the 28th of May to submit their submissions...

Oil & Gas

Bloomberg News reports that the US is planning to grant Chevron a license in Venezuela for minimal maintenance.

Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump is about to issue Chevron a license which will allow it to maintain essential operations in Venezuela with minimal effort. According to the report, which cited people with knowledge of the issue, the U.S. Treasury Department intends to grant the waiver, allowing Chevron only to perform safety and maintenance functions in Venezuela. Chevron and the U.S. State Department as well as Treasury Department have not responded to immediate requests for comments. The U.S. business license in South America is due to be renewed. Expiration Date Most partners of Venezuelan...

Oil & Gas

Venezuelan minister: US detainee is handed to Trump's envoy at Antigua

In a Tuesday message, Venezuelan Information Minister Freddy Nazareth Nanez confirmed that a U.S. national who was detained in Venezuela had been handed over to Richard Grenell - an envoy for U.S. president Donald Trump - on the Caribbean Island of Antigua. Nanez provided the information when asked whether a post made by far-right U.S. activists Laura Loomer, in which they named the detained American Air Force veteran Joe St. Clair as well as stating that he was on his way to the United States along with Grenell, was true. "Correct," Nanez responded. The U.S. State Department and the White...

Oil & Gas

Citgo reports $82 million loss for Q1 despite weak margins

Citgo Petroleum, a refiner owned by Venezuela, reported a $82 million loss for the first quarter of this year. This compares to a $410 million profit in the same period the previous year. The company based in Houston said that the result was due to the weak margins in refining. Citgo, which is being pursued for its assets by Venezuelan expropriated firms and bondholders who defaulted through an auction organized by a U.S. Court, has registered red numbers once again in its most recent period. This follows a loss of $146 million in the fourth quarter. In a press release,...

Oil & Gas

Putin and Venezuelan Maduro sign a strategic partnership agreement at Moscow

In a ceremony broadcast on state television, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic agreement with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Interfax, a Russian news agency, reported that the two leaders also spoke about energy and oil in their meeting at Moscow. In the agreement, Russia & Venezuela stated that they would promote joint efforts within OPEC +, the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, and other organisations involved in the energy industry. The agreement stated that "the parties will promote an equitable and stable development of global markets for energy without using unfair competition instruments." The two companies agreed to work together...

Oil & Gas

Venezuela national assembly greenlights economic emergency decree

Venezuela's National Assembly passed on Thursday a decree by the government of President Nicolas Maduro to declare an economic emergency as a response to U.S. tariffs and sanctions. In March, Donald Trump's administration began to suspend authorizations of oil companies that work with Venezuelan state-owned PDVSA. They also imposed secondary tariffs against crude oil and natural gas exports. Maduro issued the decree on February 2, citing constitutional authority to declare states or exceptions, suspend constitutional protections, and impose an alarm state during national emergencies. Delcy Rodriguez, Vice President and Minister of Oil during the presentation of this document, stated that...

Oil & Gas

After Trump's new order, the trade of Venezuelan oil with China is halted.

The trade of Venezuelan crude oil to China, its top buyer, slowed on Tuesday following the U.S. President Donald Trump’s order that threatened tariffs against countries purchasing from Caracas. This came days after U.S. sanctioned China's imports of Iranian oil. Trump's surprise order caught Chinese traders and refiners by surprise. It states that, at the discretionary discretion of the Secretary of State, the U.S. can impose 25% tariffs starting April 2 on any goods imported from countries importing Venezuelan crude oil. Chinese traders and refiners are waiting to see the implementation of the order and if Beijing will instruct them...

Oil & Gas

US diplomat: Venezuela has agreed to resume flight of migrants deported from the US

A senior U.S. official announced on Thursday that Venezuela has agreed to resume the flights of illegally-entering migrants deported from the United States. This follows an apparent pause on the flights which began last month. Richard Grenell, a U.S. diplomat, added to his post in which he said that flights will begin on Friday. The Venezuelan Ministry of Communication did not respond immediately to a comment request. Grenell, an envoy for U.S. president Donald Trump, visited Caracas, Venezuela's capital, in late January to meet President Nicolas Maduro, and to discuss deportation, among other things. Soon after, the first repatriation flight...

Oil & Gas

Guyana: Venezuelan vessel enters oil block in Guyanese water

Irfaan Ali, the Guyanese president, said that earlier in Saturday a Venezuelan Coast Guard patrol had entered Guyanese water and approached a vessel delivering oil in an offshore block. A long-running dispute between the neighboring countries has been raging over which country is in control of the Esequibo region, which covers 160,000 square kilometers (62,000 square miles). This case is currently being heard by the International Court of Justice. Exxon has not been able to finish exploration in the northwest part of the block near Venezuela. Ali stated in a press release that "During this incursion the Venezuelan vessel approached...

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

China's heavy dependence on Iranian oil

China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil, accounting for approximately 13.6% of the purchases made by the world’s biggest crude importer this year. This leaves Beijing exposed to any disruption in supply caused by conflict in the Middle East. Beijing, the world's largest oil importer and buyer from Venezuela, has been able to reduce its import bill by billions of dollars in recent years. How much Iranian oil does China buy? China purchases 90% of the Iranian oil shipped, but this is limited due to U.S. Sanctions aimed at cutting funding for Tehran's Nuclear Programme. According to Kpler, China...

Fossil Fuels

Venezuela increases taxes on the private sector after Chevron's exit

Business leaders and analysts predict that Venezuela's government will increase taxes and charges for public services on the private sector in order to compensate the decline of oil revenues after the tightening of U.S. Sanctions. Washington canceled in February key licenses that allowed a few partners and customers of the state oil company PDVSA to export Venezuelan crude oil under U.S. sanctions exemptions. The United States also imposed secondary duties on Venezuelan oil buyers. Analysts estimate that these actions could reduce OPEC's oil revenue, which is estimated to be around $15 billion by 2024, approximately 30%. A dozen businesspeople said...

Fossil Fuels

Sources say that the US has granted Chevron a narrow permission to retain assets in Venezuela

Three sources familiar with the decision confirmed on Tuesday that the Trump administration had granted a limited authorization to U.S. oil company Chevron, allowing it to retain assets in Venezuela. This included its stakes in joint ventures for oil with PDVSA. In recent weeks, Chevron and other European companies had been in discussions with Washington officials to get authorizations for their assets and stakes in Venezuela due to President Donald Trump’s restrictive policies. The guidelines were issued as the administration let the Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela expire Tuesday. Joe Biden, the former U.S. president, had granted that license...

Crude Oil

Oil & Gas Refining

Oil & Gas Refining

Rubio: Oil license expiring in Venezuela on May 27

The U.S. Oil License in Venezuela expires on May 27, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a late-night post on his X account. The license of the U.S. company Chevron to operate in Venezuela was due to expire on May 27. Rubio wrote that "the pro-Maduro Biden #Venezuela oil license will expire on Tuesday, May 27 as scheduled." Requests for comments on Rubio’s post were not immediately responded to by the State Department or Treasury Department. Richard Grenell is the envoy of Donald Trump, U.S. president. Two sources said that Jorge Rodriguez, head of Venezuela's ruling party allied legislature...

Oil & Gas Refining

US judge confirms Red Tree as the starting bid for Citgo parent's auction

According to a court document, a U.S. Federal judge confirmed on Monday that a $3.7billion offer made by Red Tree Investments, an affiliate of Contrarian Funds to pay bondholders and creditors in an auction for shares of the parent company of Venezuelan-owned refiner Citgo Petroleum was the starting bid. The offer, which had been recommended by a court officer overseeing the auction, unleashed a battle among 16 creditors seeking to cash proceeds from the auction, with some supporting the bid because it includes a payment agreement with holders of a bond issued by Citgo's ultimate parent, Caracas-headquartered PDVSA, and others...

Oil & Gas Refining

Document says that Venezuela's PDVSA will continue to produce and export oil, previously handled by Chevron

According to a document obtained by us on Monday, Venezuela's PDVSA state-run company has developed three scenarios to ensure that it can continue to produce and export oil through its largest joint venture in Venezuela with Chevron after the license granted to the U.S. giant to operate within the country expires at the end of next month. Chevron was given 30 days by the administration of U.S. president Donald Trump to stop all oil exports and operations from Venezuela to the United States, which are currently being done under a license issued in 2022. Chevron is present in this sanctioned...

Oil & Gas Refining

US extends protection to Venezuelan-owned Citgo against creditors

A notice on the Treasury Department's website showed that the U.S. Treasury Department had extended until early July a licence protecting Venezuelan-owned refiner Citgo Petroleum against creditors. The move came after President Donald Trump's government terminated a license for Chevron that allowed it to operate in Venezuela. Venezuela's opposition asked the U.S. for protection of Citgo - the crown jewel in the South American nation's overseas assets - as an American court proceeds this year with the auction of parent shares to pay its creditors. After the auction, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) must approve any new...

Oil & Gas Refining

Citgo Petroleum's profits plummeted by $305 million in 2024

Citgo Petroleum, a U.S. refiner owned by Venezuela, reported a net profit of $305 million last year. This was below the projected $2 billion profit for 2023. The company also revealed a loss of $146 million in the fourth quarter. The ownership of the seventh-largest refiner in the United States could change if the winning bidder for its shares is selected in a Delaware court-organized auction to compensate 18 creditors who have defaulted on debts or been expropriated in Venezuela. In 2024, a "deteriorating price environment" coupled with lower volumes processed of oil earlier in the year resulted in lower...

Oil Refineries

United States judge problems order to resume Citgo information room, reboot bidding

A U.S. judge managing an auction of shares in the parent of Venezuelaowned Citgo Petroleum on Monday agreed to reopen a data room to permit prospective purchasers to prepare brand-new quotes, a court file showed. Judge Leonard Stark ordered the information space to be opened on Wednesday after listening to creditors in the event urge a brand-new bidding round. The court is auctioning shares in Citgo moms and dad PDV Holding to pay back $21 billion in claims versus Venezuela and state oil company PDVSA for expropriations and debt defaults. A conditional deal of as much as $7.3 billion by...

Mining

United States judge proposes to rearrange stalled Citgo share auction

The U.S. judge supervising an auction of shares in a Citgo Petroleum moms and dad to pay Venezuelalinked creditors on Wednesday proposed significant procedural modifications to advance a case stalled by broad opposition and claims by lenders in other courts. Judge Leonard Stark suggested a series of changes to encourage greater bids in a seven-year-long court case brought by business pursuing up to $21.3 billion in claims for financial obligation defaults and expropriations in Venezuela. An as much as $7.3 billion quote by an affiliate of activist investor Elliott Investment Management might soon be challenged by the court's recommendation to...

Oil & Gas Refining

Citgo reports $25 million loss in Q2 over unfavorable market conditions

U.S. oil refiner Citgo Petroleum on Thursday reported a net loss of $25. million in the second quarter following unfavorable market. conditions and refinery upkeep and upgrades, compared to. income of $410 million in the quarter instantly prior. A U.S. federal court is auctioning shares of among the. moms and dads of the Venezuela-owned company, which is the seventh-. biggest U.S. refiner, in order to pay up to $21.3 billion in. claims from financial obligation defaults and expropriations in the South. American nation. Citgo's crude processing fell to 678,000 bpd with an average. crude utilization of 84% due to turn-around...

Oil & Gas Refining

Venezuela mulls proposal to extend PDVSA-Chevron oil joint venture through 2047

Venezuela's National Assembly on Monday began discussing a proposition to extend through 2047 a contract in between state oil company PDVSA and U.S. company Chevron to operate a joint venture in the nation's. largest producing area. PDVSA and Chevron have 4 joint endeavors in Venezuela that. are producing some 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude. The companies are requesting an extension for Petropiar in. the Orinoco Belt, the partnership that produces one of the most oil,. Venezuela's deputy oil minister, Elianny Palencia, said during a. discussion at the National Assembly in Caracas. The extension for Petropiar will make an...

Oil & Gas Drilling

BP, Trinidad's NGC get US license for gas development with Venezuela

British oil major BP and Trinidad and Tobago's state energy company NGC have gotten a. twoyear license from the U.S. Treasury Department to negotiate. and establish the CocuinaManakin gas fields with Venezuela,. Trinidad's energy minister stated on Wednesday. Washington last month did not restore a broad license that had. allowed Venezuela to easily export its oil and get. investment, however it has actually considering that issued specific authorizations to. companies attempting to do company in the sanctioned South American. nation. BP and NGC are now allowed to plan a project involving an. offshore reservoir with about 1 trillion cubic feet...

Oil & Gas Refining

Orlen doing all it can to recover money paid for oil it didn't get

Poland's biggest refiner Orlen is taking every possible step to recuperate money paid by its Swiss trading unit in prepayments for oil that was not provided, however this might be very made complex, the company's. CEO said on Thursday. District attorneys in Poland are examining the loss of about. $ 400 million by Orlen Trading Switzerland (OTS) in prepayments,. primarily for Venezuelan oil, in what has actually become a politically. charged story in Warsaw. The truth that a business such as Orlen, one of the largest. companies in Europe ... one of the largest refining issues in. the world ......

Oil & Gas Refining

India's Dependence renews bid for United States license to import Venezuelan oil, sources state

Indian oil refiner Dependence Industries has actually resubmitted a request to the U.S. for an authorization to import crude oil from approved Venezuela, three individuals near to the matter said, and resume oil trade in between the OPEC producer and the as soon as secondlargest destination for its oil. French oil manufacturer Maurel & & Senior prom separately on Monday stated the U.S. on Friday approved it a license to conduct oil and gas operations in Venezuela for the next two years. The U.S. in April did not restore a general license for Venezuela to export oil and fuel to...