(Reuters, 14.Dec.2020) — A tanker chartered by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) is loading Venezuelan crude for export, documents from state-run PDVSA show, providing evidence of the two countries’ latest tactics to expand their trade in defiance of U.S. sanctions. Venezuela and Iran have deepened their cooperation this year […]
Tag: PDVSA
Venezuela Disrupts Plan To Attack Refinery
(Reuters, 11.Dec.2020) — Venezuela’s Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami said on Friday that authorities had disrupted a plan to attack Venezuela’s 146,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) El Palito refinery, and had arrested two suspects in the plot. El Aissami alleged, without providing evidence, that the planned attack had the support of the Colombian […]
PdV Turns Refinery Repair Effort To Puerto La Cruz
(Argus, 10.Dec.2020) — PdV has restarted a crude distillation unit at its 190,000 b/d Puerto La Cruz refinery for the first time since 2017, but as with the Venezuelan state-owned company’s other refinery repair efforts, expanding and sustaining operations remains a challenge. Atmospheric distillation unit 1 (DA-1) restarted gradually over […]
![NGOs Vital In Helping With Humanitarian Crisis [Video]](https://energy-analytics-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/NewsRoomHeaderRight-citgo.jpg)
NGOs Vital In Helping With Humanitarian Crisis [Video]
(Citgo, 10.Dec.2020) — NGOs and other private philanthropic groups are increasingly critical in helping address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, according to three diverse panels of leading experts recently convened in Houston via webinar by the SimĂłn BolĂvar Foundation. Panelists from the international development and humanitarian relief sector pointed […]
Venezuela Oil Production To Average 600,000 b/d In 2021
(Energy Analytics Institute, 9.Dec.2020) — Crude oil production from OPEC member Venezuela is expected to average 600,000 barrels per day in 2021, according to new estimates revealed by Ecoanalitica. The Caracas-based economic consultancy also expects Venezuela’s oil basket price to average $37.50 per barrel in 2021. __________ By Piero Stewart. […]
Venezuelan Opposition Fills PdV Chair On Election Eve
(Argus, 7.Dec.2020) — Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly named another oil industry veteran to chair a shadow board of Venezuela’s national oil company PdV. The key appointment comes on the eve of tomorrow’s disputed National Assembly elections that are widely expected to cement the power of President Nicolas Maduro. The US-backed […]
Venezuela’s New Assembly To Battle Sanctions
(Argus, 7.Dec.2020) — Venezuela’s National Assembly elections yesterday thrust the Opec country’s last democratic institution under the thumb of President Nicolas Maduro, who has defied US oil sanctions for close to two years. The US-backed opposition led by Juan Guaido boycotted the elections, and abstention was estimated at around 80pc. […]
Heard Venezuela: Iranian Asset Takeovers
(Energy Analytics Institute, 5.Dec.2020) — Rumors are that Iranian businesspersons and their companies are in the process of taking over operations at Venezuela’s six refineries while also looking to do the same at petrol stations across the OPEC country. Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) owns six refineries […]
Dems Statement Ahead Of Elections In Venezuela
(US Senate, 4.Dec.2020) — US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) issued the following statement denouncing the Maduro regime’s sham elections scheduled to take place on Sunday, December 6. “For nearly two years, world leaders have stood in solidarity with […]
New Buyers Spur Rise In Venezuela Oil Exports
(Reuters, 3.Dec.2020) — Venezuela’s oil exports almost doubled in November from the previous month as new customers linked to a Russian trading firm stepped in to boost purchases from state-run PDVSA amid U.S. sanctions, according to data from the firm and Refinitiv Eikon. In October, PDVSA’s established customers suspended swaps […]
Venezuela Producing Around 450,000 b/d
(Energy Analytics Institute, 1.Dec.2020) — Venezuela is said to be producing around 450,000 barrels per day and exporting more with the assistance of Chinese and Russians companies lifting the South American country’s oil. Production could rise to at least 600,000 b/d in coming months, oil union official Ivan Freites told […]
Venezuela Crude Production, Exports Recover
(Argus, 1.Dec.2020) — Venezuelan state-owned PdV’s crude production and exports have recovered in recent weeks as China resumed direct loadings and a tanker deficit the company blames on US sanctions eased, according to PdV officials and internal reports seen by Argus. PdV’s crude exports jumped to around 500,000 b/d last […]
Venezuela Judge Convicts Citgo-6, Orders Prison
(AP, 27.Nov.2020) — Six American oil executives held for three years in Venezuela were found guilty of corruption charges by a judge Thursday and immediately sentenced to prison, dashing hopes of a quick release that would send them home to their families in the United States. Some relatives had been […]
Venezuela Resumes Direct Oil Shipments To China
(Reuters, 26.Nov.2020) — Venezuela has resumed direct shipments of oil to China after U.S. sanctions sent the trade underground for more than a year, according to Refinitiv Eikon vessel-tracking data and internal documents from state company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Chinese state companies China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and PetroChina […]
Venezuela Briefs: Exchange Rate; PDVSA Isn’t Bankrupt
(Energy Analytics Institute, 25.Nov.2020) — Foreign exchange rate and energy related briefs from OPEC oil producer Venezuela related to the rising Bolivar currency as well as comments from President Nicolas Maduro about the financial standing of state oil producer Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Venezuela Bolivar Dollar Exchange Rate at Bs. […]
Heard Venezuela: Oil Sales To Chevron
(Energy Analytics Institute, 24.Nov.2020) — Heard on the street in Venezuela related to the sale of Venezuelan oil to US based company Chevron Corporation. OFAC License To Sale Oil To Chevron Discussions are said ongoing between US and Venezuelan officials regarding a plan that would entail a special OFAC license […]
Venezuelan Union Leader Girot Detained
(Reuters, 19.Nov.2020) — Venezuelan authorities arrested oil workers’ union leader Eudis Girot, other union officials said on Thursday, as the government’s crackdown on dissent at troubled state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela continued. Girot, the executive director of the FUTPV union and an outspoken critic of PDVSA’s management, wrote in […]
Chevron Eyes Biden To Preserve Venezuela Foothold
(Bloomberg, 18.Nov.2020) — Chevron’s willingness to keep a foothold in oil-rich Venezuela will now be a thorny political issue for President-elect Joe Biden to sort out. The U.S. Treasury Department extended until June 3 its authorization for Chevron to carry out essential transactions in the country to preserve its assets, […]
Venezuela Supports Three Month Opec Extension
(Energy Analytics Institute, 17.Nov.2020) — Opec producer Venezuela continues to support a three month extension of production levels of 7.7 million barrels per day. “Venezuela ratifies its commitment to continue adopting the necessary decisions to guarantee the stability of the energy market,” Venezuela’s state owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) announced […]
Citgo Reports Third Quarter 2020 Results
(Citgo, 13.Nov.2020) — Citgo Petroleum Corporation’s third quarter results were driven by the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the refining industry as a whole, and were further affected by an eight-week shutdown at the Lake Charles, La. refinery due to Hurricanes Laura and Delta. As a result […]
Slew Of Tankers Head Toward Venezuela
(Reuters, 11.Nov.2020) — At least 18 oil tankers are expected to load oil for export from Venezuela in the coming weeks, according to tracking data and internal documents from state-run PDVSA, in a sign the sanctioned OPEC nation’s crude exports may rebound this month. Venezuela’s oil exports fell to their […]
Venezuela Oil Exports Between 1999-2019
(Energy Analytics Institute, 10.Nov.2020) — Venezuela, home to the largest crude oil reserves and sizeable natural gas reserves, reported total oil exports of $984.9bn between 1999 and the first quarter of 2019, according to data from Venezuelan lawmaker Elias Matta. Table: Venezuela’s Oil Exports Year $bn 1999 $16.7 2000 $27.9 […]
60 Vehicles Dispatched To Paraguana Refining Complex
(Energy Analytics Institute, 9.Nov.2020) — Venezuela’s state oil company PetrĂłleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) dispatched 60 vehicles to the Paraguaná Refining Center (CRP by its Spanish acronym), located in the state of FalcĂłn. The fleet is intended to strengthen CRP’s operations at both the 645,000 barrel per day capacity Amuay and […]
Venezuela Briefs: Black Mkt Gasoline; Diesel Demand
Energy briefs from Venezuela on prices for black market gasoline reaching $11.36/gal and refineries owned by PDVSA only producing enough diesel to cover 25% of domestic demand.
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. […]
Case Against Venezuela’s Oil Minister Hits Another Snag
(AP, 3.Nov.2020) — The prosecution of Venezuela’s Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami for violating U.S. sanctions has run into another snag after a federal judge allowed one of his co-defendants to withdraw a guilty plea over allegations that U.S. attorneys withheld evidence in the case. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan on […]
Venezuela Oil Exports Fall to New Lows
(Reuters, 2.Nov.2020) — Venezuela’s oil exports fell to a historic low of 359,000 barrels per day (bpd) in October as most of state-run PDVSA’s long-term clients paused trade to meet a U.S. deadline to halt business with the firm, according to data seen by Reuters on Monday. The United States […]
SimĂłn BolĂvar Foundation Rejects Maduro Allegations
(Citgo, 30.Oct.2020) — Given the recent accusations made by representatives of the Nicolás Maduro regime, the SimĂłn BolĂvar Foundation, the private non-profit foundation of Citgo Petroleum Corporation, categorically rejects the allegations regarding the Foundation’s activities and its President Ms. Mariela Poleo, for being completely false and unfounded. The SimĂłn BolĂvar […]
Maduro Condemns Amuay Attack, Blames Duque
(Energy Analytics Institute, 29.Oct.2020) — Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro Moros says the Amuay refinery in Punto Fijo in FalcĂłn state was attacked by terrorist groups with backing from Colombia. “What has happened is something very serious, it’s an act by terrorist groups that Iván Duque is preparing from Colombia to […]
Maduro Says Amuay Hit By ‘Terrorist Tttack’
(Reuters, 28.Oct.2020) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday said the country’s Amuay oil refinery was victim of a terrorist attack on Tuesday that involved a “powerful weapon”, but said the country had gasoline reserves equivalent to 20 days of consumption. An explosion hit a distillation unit at the 645,000 […]
Venezuela Briefs: Amuay Explosion; Cardon Gasoline
(Energy Analytics Institute, 27.Oct.2020) — Refinery briefs from Venezuela on another explosion at PetrĂłleos de Venezuela’s Amuay refinery and the restart of gasoline production at its Cardon refinery. Both refineries are located in Punto Fijo, Venezuela. Explosion At PDVSA’s Amuay Refinery An explosion at PDVSA’s Amuay refinery impacted the the […]
Sign of Venezuela’s Oil Collapse Is Storage Surge
(Bloomberg, 23.Oct.2020) — Venezuelan crude inventories have surged 84% over the last three weeks as the threat of U.S. sanctions ward away buyers of the nation’s most important commodity. That raises the risk that state-run PDVSA will have to start shutting in production again, and is the latest sign that […]
Venezuela Briefs: LPG Shortage, Eni On Nabarima
(Energy Analytics Institute, 23.Oct.2020) — Energy briefs from Venezuela regarding ongoing shortages of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and Italy’s Eni submitting a proposal regarding the offloading of FSO Nabarima. Heard On The Street: Citizens Using Firewood An ongoing shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is widely used across Venezuela […]
Trinidad Briefs: Nabarima Stable, Budget Prices
(Energy Analytics Institute, 23.Oct.2020) — Energy briefs from Trinidad and Tobago related to an update on the status of the FSO Nabarima offshore Venezuela in the Gulf of Paria and commodity prices used in the 2021 budget. FSO Nabarima Stable, Not An Environmental Threat The FSO Nabarima located offshore Venezuela […]
PDVSA’s Cardon Refinery Halts Operations
(Energy Analytics Institute, 20.Oct.2020) — PetrĂłleos de Venezuela’s Cardon refinery in Punto Fijo has once again halted operations. The stoppage impacts the recently restarted production of gasoline. “Refinery conditions are very worrying and the risk of accidents is very high,” oil union official Ivan Freites said 20 October 2020 in […]
Nabarima: Potential Oil Spill Larger Than Exxon-Valdez
(350.org, 20.Oct.2020) — While a record deluge of intensifying hurricanes hit the Caribbean and Gulf, many of the same communities are at risk of a slow-motion multi-million-gallon oil spill in the region, even larger than the infamous 1989 Exxon-Valdez spill which involved 10.8 million gallons. Amira Odeh, 350.org Caribbean and […]
Citgo-backed Bonds Boosted By US Court Ruling
(Reuters, 19.Oct.2020) — Bond market brokers marked up prices on some of Venezuela’s battered debt more than four-fold on Monday after a U.S. judge dealt a major blow to opposition leader Juan Guaido’s efforts to have them declared invalid. The bonds at the centre of the row belong to Venezuelan […]
Nabarima Floating Storage Tanker At Risk Of Sinking
(Energy Analytics Institute, 17.Oct.2020) — The Nabarima floating storage unit with around 1,180,000 barrels of oil and located offshore Venezuela’s Sucre state is at increased risk of sinking, an oil union official warns. Nabarima belongs to the Empresa Mixta PetroSucre, which partners state oil company PetrĂłleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and […]
US Embassy In Trinidad Concerned About Nabarima
(Energy Analytics Institute, 16.Oct.2020) — The US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago expressed continued concerns about the potential risk to safety and environment posed by the Venezuelan-flagged vessel, Nabarima. The vessel is carrying around 1.2-1.3 million barrels and is located in Venezuela’s Gulf of Paria. “We strongly support immediate actions […]
Venezuela Economy To Shrink 25% In 2020: IMF
(Energy Analytics Institute, 13.Oct.2020) — Venezuela, home to the world’s largest oil reserves and sizable natural gas and mineral deposits, is expected to be the worst performing economy in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region with its gross domestic product (GDP) projected to contract 25% in 2020, according to […]
US-Venezuela Dispute Delays Oil Storage Transfer
(Argus, 13.Oct.2020) — Italian Eni’s plan to drain a Venezuelan floating oil storage vessel considered a potential environmental risk has been delayed for weeks because of concerns over US sanctions on the Opec country. The Venezuela-flagged Nabarima floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) had been listing in August, with flooding […]
Iranian Fuel Supplies Good For Two Months
(Energy Analytics Institute, 12.Oct.2020) — The recent arrival of three Iranian tankers to Venezuela carrying around 750,000 bbls of gasoline is only sufficient to last the South American country about two months. Venezuela should at a minimum produce sufficient fuel to cover domestic demand, Eudis Girot, Executive Director with the […]
Former PDVSA Head Criticizes Anti-Blockade Law
(Energy Analytics Institute, 11.Oct.2020) — The former president of PetrĂłleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), Rafael RamĂrez, criticized Venezuela’s Anti-Blockade Law, which was approved by the country’s National Constituent Assembly. “For more than five years I’ve been denouncing the direction this government is going in terms the delivery of our oil, reversal […]
Partial Reactivation of PDVSA’s Amuay Refinery
(Energy Analytics Institute, 11.Oct.2020) — Venezuela’s Amuay refinery is processing around 160,000 barrels per day (b/d) after reactivation of two plants, according to an oil union official with the Unitary Federation of Petroleum Workers of Venezuela (FUTPV by its Spanish acronym). The volumes correspond to Plant 1 with 65,000 b/d […]
Fuel Shortages Persist Across Venezuela
(Energy Analytics Institute, 10.Oct.2020) — Venezuela continues to suffer from severe shortages of fuel from gasoline to diesel and across the entire country despite the recent arrival of three Iranian tankers with manly gasoline supplies. Fuel shortages continue across the OPEC-member country since the second shipment this year of Iranian […]
Iranian Tanker Departs For Persian Gulf From Venezuela
(Reuters, 9.Oct.2020) — An Iranian-flagged oil tanker left Venezuela on Friday for Iran’s Kharg Island, Refinitiv Eikon data showed, after the vessel loaded 1.9 million barrels of heavy crude at the South American country’s Jose oil terminal. The shipment marks the latest example of cooperation between the two OPEC nations […]
PetroPiar and Sinovensa restart blending activities
CARACAS, VENEZUELA (Piero Stewart, Energy Analytics Institute, 8.Oct.2020, Words: 81) — Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has reportedly restarted the PetroPiar and Sinovensa blending units, according to reports from local Venezuelan media El Nacional. The first joint venture, PetroPiar, which partners PDVSA and Chevron Corp., is reportedly […]
Venezuela, Once An Oil Giant, Reaches The End Of An Era
(NYT, 7.Oct.2020) — Wells that once tapped the world’s largest crude reserves are abandoned or left to flare toxic gases that cast an orange glow over depressed oil towns. Refineries that once processed oil for export are rusting hulks, leaking crude that blackens shorelines and coats the water in an […]
Proposed Changes To Venezuela’s Organic Oil Law
(Energy Analytics Institute, 7.Oct.2020) — Venezuela’s National Assembly has submitted proposed changes to the country’s Organic Hydrocarbons Law, which it views as fundamental legislation and extremely important in any recovery of the hydrocarbon industry and economy, according to documents seen by Energy Analytics Institute. Proposed changes to the law are […]
Three Iranian Tankers Make It To Venezuela
(Energy Analytics Institute, 5.Oct.2020) — The third and final Iranian tanker, part of a three-tanker flotilla, docked in Venezuela over the weekend with much needed gasoline supplies for the struggling OPEC country. The three Iranian-flagged tankers – Faxon, Forest and Fortune – are estimated to have transported around 250,000 bbls […]