OPEC’s Mohammad Barkindo Visits Venezuela

(Energy Analytics Institute, 7.May.2022) — OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, on 6 May 2022 for a working visit to the South American country. Barkindo was received by a high-level delegation from the Venezuelan government headed by the Agriculture & Land Minister […]

Venezuela and Russia Ink Deals to Boost Ties

(Energy Analytics Institute, 16.Feb.2022) — Venezuela and Russia signed an agreement of intent aimed at strengthening strategic alliances and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries under the context of a relationship based on mutual respect. The agreement was signed by Venezuela’s Petroleum Minister Tareck El Aisami and Russia’s Yuri Barisov, […]

NRGBriefs: Venezuela’s Oil Minister El Aissami Says He’s Fine

(Energy Analytics Institute, 14.Dec.2021) — Energy briefs including EP PetroEcuador announcing it has sufficient fuel supplies at all its terminals despite transport issues impacting Ecuador’s two oil pipelines and one derivatives pipeline; ExxonMobil reiterating the Liza Unity FPSO will commence ops by 2022 offshore Guyana; Venezuela’s oil minister Tareck El […]

LatAm Briefs: Russia, Venezuela Boost Ties; YPF Meeting

(Energy Analytics Institute, 30.Mar.2021) — Energy briefs from the Latin America and Caribbean region including: Russia and Venezuela strengthening their cooperation and Argentina’s state oil producer YPF eyeing shareholders’ meeting on 30 April 2021. Russia And Venezuela Strengthen Cooperation A Russian-Venezuelan high-level intergovernmental commission (CIAN by its Spanish acronym) signed […]

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 […]

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 […]

Treasury Targets Sanctions Evasion Network Supporting Corrupt Venezuelan Actors

(US Department of Treasury, 18.Jun.2020) — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three individuals and eight foreign entities, and identified two vessels as blocked property for their activities in or associated with a network attempting to evade United States sanctions on Venezuela’s […]

Venezuela Rolls Out Two-tiered Fuel Pricing

(Argus, 1.Jun.2020) — A two-tiered gasoline pricing system rolled out by Venezuela today maintains generous subsidies for limited volumes but allows private-sector operators to charge international prices for imports. The new fuel rationing and pricing policy was unveiled over the weekend in separate addresses by President Nicolas Maduro and acting […]

Maduro Sends Iranian Oil To Cuba

(Panam Post, 27.May.2020) — A Cuban vessel arrived in Venezuela to allegedly provide the island gasoline that has just arrived from Iran. According to the Marine Traffic portal, this is the Petion ship, which sails under the Panamanian flag and departed from Cuba on May 21. It arrived this Monday […]

Iranian Tanker Fortune Reaches Venezuela Waters

(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 25.May.2020) — The first of five Iranian tankers carrying gasoline and fuel additives, Fortune, has made it to Venezuela’s Exclusive Economy Zone. The five tanker are carrying an estimated 1.5 million barrels of fuel. Venezuela’s Oil Minister and Economy Vice President Tareck El Aissami, announced […]

PdV Rolls Out New JV Presidents

(Argus, 4.May.2020) — Venezuela’s state-owned PdV rolled out the appointment of up to 26 new presidents of joint ventures that are mostly inactive. The appointments, some of whom may have been carryovers, are the latest manifestation of an industry shake-up led by new acting oil minister Tareck El Aissami. El […]

Is PDVSA Abandoning Its Socialist Agenda?

(Oilprice.com, 29.Apr.2020) — Venezuela seems to be changing tactics when it comes to managing its oil resources. PDVSA is considering a major industry reform that would increase private company activities in its troubled oil industry, according to a document seen by Reuters. This would be a far cry from its […]

Venezuela Floats Lean PdV With Russia Unit

(Argus, 27.Apr.2020) — The two Maduro loyalists who have been effectively running Venezuela’s national oil industry for two months were officially appointed today as acting heads of the oil ministry and PdV, with a mandate to dismantle the company’s bloated Chavez-era organization in favor of a lean structure featuring a […]

Venezuela Launches Special Fuel Supply Plan

(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 3.Apr.2020) — Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PetrĂłleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) activated a Special Fuel Supply Plan to counter a naval blockade by the US government, announced Venezuela’s Tareck El Aissami, president of the Presidential Commission “AlĂ­ RodrĂ­guez Araque” for the Defense, Restructuring and Reorganization […]

Venezuela Promises Another Oil Revival

(Argus, 20.Feb.2020) — Venezuela’s embattled government is vowing to overhaul the national oil industry one day after the US administration sanctioned the Russian trading company that channels most Venezuelan crude to market. In his latest national address late yesterday, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro issued an energy emergency decree and created […]

Maduro Taps VP To ‘Restructure’ Oil Sector

(Reuters, 19.Feb.2020) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday he would create a presidential commission to restructure the country’s beleaguered oil industry, which will be led by Vice President for the Economy Tareck El Aissami. The announcement came a day after the United States sanctioned Rosneft Trading, a unit […]

Maduro’s PDVSA Shake Up Amid Oil Emergency

(Bloomberg, 19.Feb.2020) — Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro declared an “energy emergency” as he announced a commission to revamp state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA, redoubling efforts to shore up the nation’s crumbling oil industry. Economy Vice President Tareck El Aissami will lead the commission, which will focus on boosting […]