Jan 5 (Reuters) – Since the beginning of the year, around a dozen oil tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude and fuel have departed from the country's waters, seemingly disregarding the U.S. government's export blockade. This information comes from documents reviewed by Reuters and industry sources, including the monitoring service TankerTrackers.com.
In mid-December, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented a blockade on all sanctioned tankers heading to Venezuela, just before a dramatic incident when U.S. troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro early on Saturday. Trump stated that the oil embargo remained in full effect even after Maduro's removal.
All identified tanks that have left are under U.S. sanctions, and most are currently on the high seas without recognizable flags or valid safety documentation. Shipping data indicates that half of these vessels are supertankers typically used to transport Venezuelan crude to China, according to TankerTrackers.com and shipping records from PDVSA.
It is unclear whether the U.S. government approved these shipments. Trump noted that Venezuela's biggest clients, including China, will continue to receive oil.
A U.S. official informed Reuters that a "quarantine" for sanctioned tankers is in place, but did not provide details about the ships that have departed.
The White House, the U.S. State Department, the state-run Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, and the Venezuelan oil ministry have not commented on the matter.
The ships are estimated to be carrying around 12 million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude and fuel oil, based on deals made with PDVSA and satellite images analyzed by TankerTrackers.com.
It remains uncertain where the vessels are headed. When they loaded in December, their primary destination was Asia. They had been stuck in Venezuelan waters due to the U.S. blockade.
A separate group of three smaller empty tankers, also under sanctions, left the country after completing domestic trips or unloading imports, including Russian naphtha.
At least four of the departing tankers left Venezuelan waters on Saturday via a route north of Margarita Island, after a brief stop near the nation's maritime border, said TankerTrackers.com.
According to three sources familiar with the departure paperwork, at least four supertankers were authorized by Venezuelan authorities to leave in "dark mode," meaning they sailed without their satellite tracking devices active. This tactic is often used by tankers transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela, Iran, and Russia globally.
“We managed to get some supplies out,” a source from PDVSA stated. “The shipments were authorized despite the risks, but we don’t believe we can continue using that route.”
CHEVRON RESUMES EXPORTS
In a separate development, U.S. oil giant Chevron called its employees back to Venezuela after the holidays and resumed oil exports from Venezuela to the U.S. on Monday after a four-day pause, according to shipping data and sources.
Chevron is the only company authorized by the U.S. to export Venezuelan crude, exempt from the embargo and sanctions. A tanker hired by Chevron is currently transporting about 300,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Chevron's operations in Venezuela, which has become PDVSA's main joint venture partner amidst the country's severe political turmoil, contrast sharply with the situation faced by the state-run company.
PDVSA's exports had come to a standstill last week due to the blockade, forcing it to start cutting production over the weekend. The company had limited storage options after filling onshore tanks and loading ships with crude.
Prior to these departures, there were over 20 million barrels of oil stuck on ships waiting to be exported, as reported by TankerTrackers.com.
Oil exports are vital for Venezuela's economy. The government, now headed by Oil Minister and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, needs revenue from these exports to fund state expenditures and stabilize the nation.
On Monday, Venezuela's National Assembly re-appointed Jorge Rodriguez as its President, and his sister Delcy was officially sworn in as interim president following Maduro's detention.
Trump mentioned to reporters on Sunday that he could order another military attack on Venezuela if authorities do not cooperate with U.S. efforts to open its oil industry and curb drug trafficking.