(Reuters, 18.Oct.2023) — A broad easing of U.S. oil sanctions on Venezuela will not quickly expand its output but could boost profits by returning some foreign companies to its oilfields and providing its crude to a wider set of cash-paying customers, experts said. The South American OPEC producer received broad waivers from […]
Tag: Francisco Monaldi
Venezuela to Divert Barrels from China if US Continues Easing Sanctions
(Reuters, 18.Oct.2023) — Exemptions to sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports that the U.S. is mulling should not result in a large crude production surge in the OPEC country, instead taking barrels away from its current main destination China, experts said. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden plans to provide some […]
NRGBriefs: Venezuela’s Short-term Ability to Boost Production
(Energy Analytics Institute, 11.Mar.2022) — Energy briefs including Venezuela’s ability to boost production over the short-term by around 200,000 b/d; and an oil spill occurring offshore eastern Venezuela near Barcelona. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Venezuela — Venezuela has capacity over the short-term to possibly boost production around 200,000 b/d […]
Biden’s Venezuela Policy In Holding Pattern As Maduro Outlasts Pressures
(S&P Global, 18.Jun.2021) — After Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro outlasted the Trump administration’s maximum sanctions pressure, US President Joe Biden will have to decide whether to offer Venezuela limited sanctions relief or more, amid calls from the left in Congress for humanitarian relief. An easing of some sanctions would only […]
Venezuela: “A Vision In Three Times”
(Energy Analytics Institute, 25.Mar.2021) — The webinar “Venezuela: a Vision in Three Times” on 25 March 2021 saw three speakers discuss the OPEC country’s oil sector. What follows are highlights from their discussion. Horacio Medina, the President of PDVSA’s Ad Hoc Board — “Venezuela’s state oil company PetrĂłleos de Venezuela […]
Does Venezuela Need A New Hydrocarbon Law? Webinar
(Energy Analytics Institute, 3.Nov.2020) — Does Venezuela need a new organic hydrocarbons law? That’s the question to be addressed on 5 November 2020 by four Venezuelan oil sector officials in a Zoom webinar. The panel will include Luis Pacheco, Francisco Monaldi, Luis Stefanelli and Elias Matta. __________ By Piero Stewart. […]
Venezuela Tears Apart Oil Pipelines To Sell As Scrap
(Bloomberg, 11.Sep.2020) — Venezuela’s capacity to produce some much-needed gasoline and diesel of its own hinges on a single oil play. To tap it, the Nicolas Maduro regime is willing to cannibalize the country’s crumbling energy infrastructure to pay contractors with scrap metal. Unlike the tar-like crude from Venezuela’s Orinoco […]
Venezuela Gasoline Shortages Worsen
(Reuters, 8.Apr.2020) — Gasoline shortages in Venezuela are worsening after U.S. officials have told foreign firms to refrain from supplying the fuel to the sanctioned South American nation and only provide diesel, according to five people familiar with the situation. Since late 2019, U.S. officials have asked most of Venezuela’s […]
Venezuela Offers Discounts As Prices Collapse
(Reuters, 10.Mar.2020) — Venezuela’s oil company PDVSA is this week offering discounts of up to $23 per barrel on its flagship crude, traders said, as a collapse in global oil prices puts more pressure on the state-run firm, already reeling from tightening U.S. sanctions. Petroleos de Venezuela had already been […]
Could Rosneft Sanctions Signal End To Chevron’s Venezuela Waiver?
(S&P Global Platts, 18.Feb.2020) — The Trump administration’s decision to sanction Rosneft’s trading arm Tuesday may be a sign that Chevron’s waiver allowing it to continue its work in Venezuela may soon expire, analysts said. The Rosneft sanctions may also bolster the case for the Chevron waiver to be extended […]
Venezuelan Oil Exports Fell By A Third In 2019
(Reuters, 7.Jan.2020) — Venezuela’s oil exports plummeted 32% last year to 1.001 million barrels per day, according to Refinitiv Eikon data and state-run PDVSA’s reports, as a lack of staff and capital drove output to its lowest level in almost 75 years and U.S. sanctions shrank exports markets. The drop […]
US Cuts Venezuelan Flows Plans For China, Rosneft
(S&P Global Platts, 24.Dec.2019) — US sanctions on PDVSA shut down roughly 500,000 b/d of crude flows from Venezuela to Gulf Coast refineries within a matter of weeks after being imposed in January, and helped cut the South American nation’s oil production roughly in half before the end of the […]
Can Guyana Survive Striking It Rich?
(Bloomberg, Mac Margolis, 5.Nov.2019) — Early last month, Guyanese President David Granger was knees-down in a community garden brandishing a spade. Granger was there to plant a tree — it was National Tree Day — but also an idea. “Don’t let us get drunk. Let us remain sober,” he told the […]
US Escalates Venezuela Sanctions
(Platts, 6.Aug.2019) — The US escalated sanctions against Venezuela late Monday and may use the executive order to target crude flows to China and India, analysts said Tuesday. Highlights Analysts see latest order acting as secondary oil sanctions Platts Analytics forecasts Venezuela output falling to 750,000 b/d President Donald Trump […]
Venezuela: Oil Producer’s Slump Reflects Nation’s Decline
(Ft.com, Gideon Long, John Paul Rathbone, 28.Oct.2018) — Gideon Long in Caracas and John Paul Rathbone in Washington October 28, 2018 Print this page 95 In the lobby of the building where Iván Freites works, a photograph of an oil rig covers one wall. Emblazoned across it is the Venezuelan […]
Venezuela Agrees to Pay $2 Bln Over Seizure of Oil Projects
(The New York Times, Clifford Krauss, 20.Aug.2018) – More than a decade ago, Venezuela seized several oil projects from the American oil company ConocoPhillips without compensation. Now, under pressure after ConocoPhillips carried out its own seizures, the Venezuelans are going to make amends. ConocoPhillips announced on Monday that the state […]
Is Venezuelan Oil Output Falling Faster Than Expected?
(OilPrice.com, Nick Cunningham, 12.Aug.2018) – The bad news from Venezuela continues. In July, Venezuela’s oil production came in lower than PDVSA had targeted, according to Argus Media. While PDVSA had hoped that it, along with its joint venture partners, would produce as much as 1.65 million barrels per day (mb/d) […]
Crystallex Cuts Others In Line for Citgo Assets
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 11.Aug.2018) – Crystallex seems to have cut in line while there are many others already in line for CITGO assets and value. What follows are comments published by Venezuelan oil analyst Francisco Monaldi in a series of tweets related to the legal battle over CITGO: […]
Analysts: Only a Matter of Time Before Venezuela Loses Citgo
(Houston Chronicle, Jordan Blum, 10.Aug.2018) – Financially crippled Venezuela likely will lose control of its Houston refining arm Citgo Petroleum once a slew of lawsuits eventually are resolved, and it’s just a matter of when and to whom, finance and energy analysts said Friday. A federal judge ruled late Thursday […]
Oil Analyst Speak at IESA Energy Forum
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 20.Aug.2013) – Energy sector analyst from Medley to Harvard Kennedy spoke at an energy forum at IESA in Caracas. Quote highlights from the forum follow: Comments from Luisa Palacios Director for Latin America, Medley Global Adviser regarding Mexico’s energy reform: “We expect to see positive […]