11 Chevron Oil Tankers to Receive Deliveries in Venezuela
Some Vessels of Venezuela's 'Dark Fleet' Were Able to Safely Leave Country Over the Weekend After US Capture of Maduro
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A small fleet of ships booked by Chevron Corp. is sailing to Venezuela as the company emerges as the only exporter of the country’s oil following the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces.
At least 11 ships chartered by the U.S. oil major are scheduled to arrive in the Venezuelan government-controlled ports of Jose and Bajo Grande this month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The data, which is preliminary, compares with nine vessels in December and is the highest since October, when 12 tankers loaded.
The Houston-based company operates in Venezuela under a license granted by the U.S. Treasury Department, and it is the only Western firm allowed to produce and export crude oil amid American sanctions. “Chevron remains focused on the safety and well-being of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets. We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations,” it said in a Jan. 6 statement.
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Chevron continues to load oil as at least12 vesselsbound for Venezuela turned away under the heavy U.S. military presence in the Caribbean. Two tankers used in the transport of sanctioned oil were caught in the U.S. naval blockade. The U.S. is now chasing a third tanker known as Marinera, or Bella 1, CBS News reported.
Some vessels of that "dark fleet" were able to safely leave Venezuela over the weekend, right after U.S. forces captured Maduro, according to TankerTrackers.com. Venezuela's dark fleet is a global network of oil tankers using deceptive practices to skirt sanctions and transport oil globally.
four of those tankers, and maybe as many as 16, got through the blockade, the website said, without providing the names of the vessels. Tankers of the shadow fleet typically turn off or spoof their transponders to disguise their location.
Out of the 11 Chevron-chartered vessels headed to the South American nation, one has already loaded and two others are currently docked, vessel movements tracked by Bloomberg show. All the oil goes to refineries in the U.S., including Valero Energy Corp., Phillips 66 and Marathon Petroleum Corp.
U.S. President Donald Trump is banking that oil companies will step in with big investments to revive production in Venezuela after years of corruption and neglect ravaged output, though crude producers are likely to proceed cautiously. Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to talk this week with oil industry executives.
Venezuelan oil exports — measured by ship loadings — fell to a 17-month low in December amid the naval blockade designed to clamp down on its illicit oil trade.
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