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☆ Tobago's Tourism, Fishing Hit as Oil Slick Spreads Across Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The spill has spread miles from Tobago's shore, the area first impacted by the incident, leading authorities to alert its Caribbean neighbors, including Venezuela and the island of Grenada. I cannot simply sit down and do nothing," said Edwin Ramkisson, who makes a living fishing for snapper and salmon in Lowlands, on Tobago's Atlantic shore. The slick has reached about 144 kilometers (89 miles) into the Caribbean Sea and is moving at a rate of 14 km per hour, Tobago's Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said on Thursday. The barge is believed to have carried as much as 35,000 barrels of fuel oil, according to Augustine. The spill has stained Tobago's beaches, impacting wildlife and tourism, and has posed a risk to the Scarborough cruise ship port.

Persons: Curtis Williams, Edwin Ramkisson, Farley Augustine, Augustine, Tobago's Emergency Management Agency Allan Stewart, TankerTrackers.com, Marianna Parraga, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Tobago's Coast Guard, Tobago's Emergency Management Agency, Puerto La Locations: Curtis Williams SCARBOROUGH , Tobago, Trinidad, Tobago's, Venezuela, Grenada, Lowlands, Scarborough, Tobago, Panama, Guyana, Puerto, Puerto La Cruz, St, Vincent, Grenadines

☆ Trinidad and Tobago Cleans up Beaches Following 12-Kilometer Oil Spill
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - First responders and volunteers from Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday sought to contain an oil spill detected last week in the Caribbean country's waters and clean areas of Tobago island's coast already affected by the incident. Trinidad and Tobago's coast guard first spotted the spill on Feb. 7, about 6 kilometers off the coast of Studley Park, the chief secretary of Tobago's national assembly, Farley Augustine, said in a press conference on Sunday. "This is a national emergency here in Trinidad and Tobago," Prime Minister Keith Rowley said on Sunday, after saying that a vessel had capsized and made contact with a reef on the coastline, causing the spill. Reuters found at least three ships with similar names, and all their transponders were offline, LSEG vessel monitoring data showed. If the spill had happened further west, much of the oil could easily have gone to a key marine park.

Persons: Farley Augustine, Keith Rowley, Rowley, Augustine, Stuart Young, Marianna Parraga, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Reuters, Energy, BP Locations: Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean, Tobago island's, Trinidad, Tobago's, Studley Park, Scarborough, Tobago

An oil pump jack is seen in an oil field near Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Issac Urrutia/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHOUSTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports remained almost unchanged in November at 651,000 barrels per day (bpd) even as an easing of U.S. sanctions is now allowing sales to trading houses, according to shipping and tanker tracking data. Washington in October temporarily lifted oil sanctions on the country as a way to encourage a presidential election in 2024, which prompted spot sales of Venezuelan crude and fuel oil to traders mostly bound for China. The stagnant production has driven PDVSA to offer trading houses and intermediaries a large portion of its oil stocks for exports. Besides seeking spot cash oil sales, PDVSA also has ramped up fuel imports since October.

Persons: Issac Urrutia, PDVSA, Marianna Parraga, Mircely Guanipa, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China ., Reuters, Analysts, Chevron, Spain's, Thomson Locations: Lake Maracaibo, Cabimas, Venezuela, Washington, China, China . State, India, Venezuelan, United States, U.S, Houston, Maracay

☆ China slows Venezuela crude buys as U.S. sanctions lifting triggers 'disarray'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Morichal July 28, 2011. Independent refiners, known as teapots, account for a fifth of China's oil purchases, and more than half of its asphalt production. PetroChina, PDVSA and the Venezuelan oil ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Before the U.S. imposed sanctions in 2019, subsidiary PetroChina Fuel Oil Co was the key seller of Venezuelan oil to independent refiners. Independent refiners like Venezuelan heavy crude for its high yield of road-paving material asphalt at about 60%, versus around 45% for Iranian oil.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Sellers, PetroChina, PDVSA, Muyu Xu, Marianna Parraga, Florence Tan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ICE Brent, Reuters, Fuel, Co, Thomson Locations: Morichal, Rights SINGAPORE, Washington, China, Venezuela, Iran, Russia, Iraq, Canada, OPEC, Malaysia, Venezuela's, Singapore, Houston

☆ Exclusive: Venezuela close to approving offshore gas license with Trinidad, Shell
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Curtis Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The installations of liquified natural gas producer Atlantic LNG are pictured in Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago, December 10, 2022. REUTERS/Andrea De Silva/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - Venezuela is close to approving a license for Shell (SHEL.L) and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago to develop a promising offshore natural gas field and export its production to the Caribbean country, two people close to the matter said. The license could set in motion a long-running effort by Trinidad to boost its gas processing and petrochemical exports, while providing Venezuela with a much-needed extra source of cash. Venezuela, which holds Latin America's biggest gas reserves, and neighboring Trinidad, the region's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, would complement each other's needs to produce and export gas. Trinidad and Tobago has the capacity to process 4.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) into LNG, petrochemicals and power, but its gas production is about 2.7 bcfd.

Persons: Andrea De Silva, PDVSA, Stuart Young, Curtis William, Marianna Parraga, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Atlantic, REUTERS, Shell, National Gas Company, U.S, Trinidad's Energy, NGC, Thomson Locations: Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Caribbean, Trinidad, U.S, Venezuela's, Caracas, Trinidad ., Guiria, Houston

Washington in mid-October issued a general license lifting through April sanctions on the country's oil production and exports. POLICY SHIFTThe U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry to try to oust President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election it considers a sham. In the last three weeks, PDVSA has signed new term deals to sell products, including fuel oil and asphalt cement with little known firms. LINING UPShortly after sanctions were eased last month, Trafigura chartered a vessel to pick up a fuel oil cargo at a Venezuelan port. The firm that won the offer is Romania-registered Ke Lo Ke Mgmt, PDVSA documents seen by Reuters showed.

Persons: Marco Bello, Nicolas Maduro's, PDVSA, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Trafigura, Lo, Ke Lo Ke, Gunvor, Marianna Parraga, Gary McWilliams, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Gunvor, Reuters, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, HOUSTON, Washington, U.S, Venezuela, PDVSA, Venezuelan, Romania

Cutouts depicting images of oil operations are seen outside a building of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela January 28, 2019. U.S. sanctions that were in place on Venezuela since 2019 largely blocked state-run oil company PDVSA from exporting to its chosen markets. That changed last week, but Washington's six-month relaxation of the measures is too limited to spur new crude production. PDVSA also is in talks with Mercuria Energy and Sahara Energy on spot sales, the sources said. The Italian company and Spain's Repsol (REP.MC) have been in negotiations with PDVSA for months to expand gas output in Venezuela.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Trafigura, PDVSA, Pedro Tellechea, Tipco, Spain's, Eni, Maurel, prepay, Marianna Parraga, Laura Sanicola Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Global, PDVSA, Bermuda, Mercuria Energy, Sahara Energy, U.S ., Reliance Industries, Valero Energy, PBF Energy, Eni, Valero, Reliance, U.S . Treasury Department, Traders, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, U.S, Venezuela's, Sahara, PDVSA's, Houston, Washington

The auction could start a new chapter for the 113-year-old company, which has been owned by Venezuela for almost 40 years. Washington and Venezuela's political opposition wanted Citgo to anchor the country's economic future under a democratically elected government. The sale could become the biggest court auction ever held. Motiva, Valero and Citgo's ultimate parent, Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, did not reply to requests for comment. "Citgo will be strategic for Venezuela in the next 20-25 years, not only as a refining company, but with an expanded role," director Medina said.

Persons: Biden, Citgo, Nicolas Maduro's, Matthew Blair, Tudor, Blair, Jose Ignacio Hernandez, Leonard Stark, PDVSA, PDV, Juan Guaido, Natalie Shkolnik, Wilk Auslander, Nicolas Maduro, Stark, Evercore, Conoco, Horacio Medina, Carlos Jorda, Medina, Hernandez, Marianna Parraga, Erwin Seba, Gary McWilliams, Anna Driver Organizations: U.S . State Department, Reuters, Marathon Petroleum, Motiva Enterprises, Valero Energy, Koch Industries, Valero, U.S . Treasury, Holt, U.S, Crystallex International, PDVSA, National Assembly, Citgo, PDV, Supreme, Evercore, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Exxon, U.S . Treasury Department's, Foreign Assets Control, Thomson Locations: United States, Petroleum, U.S, Houston, Venezuela, Washington, Saudi, Pickering, Citgo, Delaware, Caracas

A state oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela May 17, 2019. The U.S. on Wednesday lifted most restrictions on Venezuela for six months for producing, selling and exporting oil to its chosen markets. But it is not expected to significantly boost Venezuela's deteriorated oil production or immediately lead to stronger exports. Venezuela can now receive direct payments for goods or services under the license issued by OFAC, which oversees American sanctions. PDVSA and Venezuela's oil ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, PDVSA, Washington, Pedro Tellechea, Francisco Monaldi, Rice, Nicolas Maduro's, Monaldi, Maduro, Spain's, Joe Biden's, Marianna Parraga, Will Dunham, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Treasury's, Foreign Assets, Oil, OFAC, Washington, Chevron, Baker Institute, Venezuelan, Citgo Petroleum, Valero Energy, PBF Energy, India's Reliance Industries, Nayara Energy, Eni, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, U.S, Asia, PDVSA, United States, American, CHINA, EUROPE, China, India, PetroChina, Houston, Maduro, Washington

A state oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela May 17, 2019. The United States on Wednesday lifted for six months most restrictions on Venezuela for producing, selling and exporting oil to its chosen markets. Not all sanctions on PDVSA were lifted by the United States. Before sanctions, India and the United States were other top destinations. PDVSA and Venezuela's oil ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, PDVSA, Francisco Monaldi, Rice, Nicolas Maduro's, Monaldi, Maduro, Spain's, Joe Biden's, Marianna Parraga, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Treasury's, Foreign Assets Control, Washington, Chevron, Baker Institute, Venezuelan, Citgo Petroleum, Valero Energy, PBF Energy, India's Reliance Industries, Nayara Energy, Italy's Eni, United, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, United States, U.S, Asia, PDVSA, American, CHINA, EUROPE, China, India, PetroChina, Maduro, Washington

[1/2] Venezuelan journalist Roland Carreno of the opposition party Popular Will is being greeted by family members and colleagues after he was released from prison, in Caracas, Venezuela October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Gonzalo Perez Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Five people jailed in Venezuela, including well-known opposition figures, have been released, the opposition said around midnight on Thursday, following a deal with the government of President Nicolas Maduro and Washington's demand that certain prisoners be freed. Three U.S. citizens are still wrongfully detained in Venezuela, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols said on Thursday. A U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday he expects movement in the near term on releases of wrongfully detained Americans. For years the opposition has urged the government to free over 200 people that human rights organization Foro Penal considers political prisoners.

Persons: Roland Carreno, Luis Gonzalo Perez, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Washington, Antony Blinken, Venezuela's, Gerardo Blyde, Juan Gonzalez, Jorge Rodriguez, Will, Juan Requesens, Blyde, Carreno, Maria Corina Machado, Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A, Nichols, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Joseph Ryan Cristella, Hernandez, Cristella, Requesens, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Natalia Siniawski, Julia Symmes Cobb, Inti Landauro, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Barbara Lewis, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Trump, Venezuelan, U.S, First, State Department, Reuters, United States, State, Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S . State Department, Foro Penal, Maduro, Thomson Locations: Venezuelan, Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, Bolivarian Republic, Maduro's, Three U.S, Los Angeles, Texas, Colombia, U.S

☆ US easing Venezuela oil sanctions after election deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday broadly eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas sector in response to a 2024 election deal reached between the Venezuelan government and the country's opposition. Treasury is prepared to amend or revoke the authorizations at any time if representatives of President Nicolas Maduro fail to follow through on their commitments in the deal with the opposition, it added. The changes include the issuance of a six-month general license for the oil and gas sector in Venezuela and another general license authorizing dealings with Minerven – the Venezuelan state-owned gold mining company. The frontrunner in an opposition primary scheduled for Sunday, Maria Corina Machado, is barred from office for 15 years as of June.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Ebrahim Raisi, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Biden, Minerven, Maria Corina Machado, Donald Trump, Maduro, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Josie Kao, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Treasury Department, U.S . State Department, Reuters, Washington, Biden, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, U.S

☆ Exclusive: US easing Venezuela oil sanctions after election deal -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. The U.S. imposed tough sanctions on Venezuela to punish President Nicolas Maduro's government following his 2018 re-election, which the U.S. and other Western governments rejected as a sham. Since 2019, U.S. sanctions have banned state-run oil company PDVSA from exporting to its chosen markets. The official warned, however, that U.S. decisions on relaxed sanctions would depend on Maduro complying with the latest agreement and working toward free and fair elections. Some opposition figures told Reuters on Monday they doubt Maduro's administration will follow through on the election pledges.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Ebrahim Raisi, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Joe Biden's, Nicolas Maduro's, Biden, Donald Trump's, We're, Maria Corina Machado, Maduro, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Mayela Armas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, U.S . State Department, Reuters, U.S, EIA, Biden, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, U.S, Maduro, Caribbean, OPEC, The U.S, Barbados, BARBADOS

Rolling back Trump-era sanctions, U.S. officials issued general licenses for Venezuela's oil, gas and mining sectors in response to a deal between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the county's opposition on the 2024 presidential election. SLOW RECOVERYThe sanctions relief authorizes the production, sale and export of Venezuela's crude and gas, while keeping a ban on business with Russia. Since the U.S. imposed secondary oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2020, PDVSA had been unable to fulfill its supply contracts to clients in regions from Europe to Asia. An individual authorization to Chevron Corp (CVX.N) allowed the return of Venezuela's crude to the United States this year. Area chart shows data from U.S. EIA showing Venezuela crude oil production.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Francisco Monaldi, Rice University's, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden, Monaldi, PDVSA, Baker Hughes, Maduro, Marianna Parraga, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Rice University's Baker Institute ., Trump, Venezuelan, OPEC, U.S, Chevron Corp, U.S Chevron, Eni, EIA, Thomson Locations: Jusepin, Venezuela, South American, U.S, American, Russia, Iran, Europe, Asia, United States, Trinidad and Tobago, China, Caribbean

The negotiations, meant to provide a way out of Venezuela's long-running political and economic crisis, will take place in Barbados. The U.S. State Department celebrated the announcement of the return to talks but did not mention sanctions relief. Some members of the opposition said on Monday that they doubted Maduro would follow through on his promises. But with no substantial investment in Venezuela's oil sector for over a decade, any real oil output increase will take time, according to analysts. The return to talks between Maduro's government and the opposition was announced in a statement published by Norway, an observer.

Persons: Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, Jesus Maria Casal, Venezuela's, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump's, Maduro, Maria Corina Machado, Maurel, PDVSA, Maduro's, Washington, Biden, John Barrasso, Mayela Armas, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Electoral Council, Primary Commission, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, Reuters, U.S, Republican U.S, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, WASHINGTON, HOUSTON, Washington, U.S, Maduro, Barbados, United States, Venezuelan, The U.S, Qatar, China, Russia, Cuba, Ukraine, OPEC, America, Norway, Houston

The opposition considers the bans unlawful, and Washington has rejected any roadblocks to opposition candidates' race to the presidency. The agreement to be signed on Tuesday would lift all public office bans, one opposition source told Reuters, but its wording is too vague to inspire confidence that Maduro will honor the deal. Four other opposition sources agreed, with one saying the deal was largely negotiated by the United States. "We all have our doubts, but we're exhausting our options," said another opposition source. The U.S., which is expected to loosen some sanctions in recognition of the government-opposition deal, will act only once the deal has been signed, sources told Reuters on Monday.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela Milton Rengifo, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Maria Corina Machado, There's, Maduro, What's, Benigno Alarcon, Andres, Alarcon, it's, Marianna Parraga, Mayela, Deisy Buitrago, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Maduro's, United, Andres Bello Catholic University, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Miraflores, Caracas, Rights CARACAS, HOUSTON, Barbados, Washington, United States, U.S, Doha, Houston

Any U.S. action would come only after Venezuela's opposition and Maduro's representatives sign an agreement under which he commits to a presidential election date and to the lifting of bans on some opposition candidates, these two sources said. It would also allow participation of opposition figures who are currently barred from holding office, the source added. Reuters reported last week, citing five sources, that Venezuela and the United States had progressed in talks that could allow at least one additional foreign oil firm to take Venezuelan crude oil for debt repayment if Maduro resumed negotiations with the opposition. Two of those sources had named France's Maurel & Prom (MAUP.PA), a joint venture partner with Venezuela state-run oil company PDVSA, as a possible recipient of a comfort letter. The return to talks was announced in a statement published by Norway, an observer of the talks, which are meant to provide a way out of Venezuela's long-running political and economic crisis.

Persons: Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, Jesus Maria Casal, Venezuela's, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro, Maduro's, Maurel, Maria Corina Machado, Mayela Armas, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Julia Symmes Cobb Organizations: Electoral Council, Primary Commission, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, WASHINGTON, United States, Washington, Barbados, U.S, mull, Israel, Norway, Houston

☆ Venezuela Readying Return to Mexico-Based Talks With Opposition -Sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The talks between President Nicolas Maduro's government and the opposition are meant to find solutions to Venezuela's long-running political and economic crisis. The opposition will repeat its long-standing petition for release of political prisoners and guarantees for an election slated for 2024, two sources close to preparations for the talks said. Envoys from Caracas and Washington have met several times in Doha since last year in separate conversations, according to other sources with knowledge of those talks, but Venezuela's opposition did not directly participate. One source said the Venezuelan government had broadly discussed electoral issues at the Qatar talks, but had not entered into detail about guarantees. The United States announced on Thursday it will restart deportations of Venezuelans who cross the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully, an agreement two of the sources said was achieved during the Doha talks.

Persons: Marianna Parraga, Diego Oré, Mayela Armas, Nicolas Maduro's, Delcy Rodriguez, Henrique Capriles, Vivian Sequera, Matt Spetalnick, Andrew Mills, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . State Department, Venezuela's Foreign Affairs, Reuters, White, United States, Doha Locations: Mayela Armas HOUSTON, MEXICO, CARACAS, Mexico, U.S, Caracas, Washington, Doha, Qatar, United States, Venezuela, Venezuelan, Houston, Diego Ore, Mexico City, Washinghton

Cutouts depicting images of oil operations are seen outside a building of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela January 28, 2019. Separate talks between Maduro's envoys and the Venezuelan opposition are expected to follow in Mexico in the coming weeks, according to sources. Washington has been trying to encourage negotiations between Maduro and the political opposition over elections in Venezuela and other demands. The proposal included reframing oil sanctions on Venezuela by amending existing U.S. executive orders or issuing new ones so buyers in Europe and other regions could resume imports of Venezuelan oil in a structured, organized way. Chevron (CVX.N) has been allowed to expand operations in Venezuela and export its oil to the U.S. since November.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Nicolas Maduro, Maurel, PDVSA, Vivian Sequera, Mayela, Andrew Mills, Marianna Parraga, Matt Spetalnick, Benjamin Mallet, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, U.S . State Department, White, Doha, Chevron, Eni, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, DOHA, HOUSTON, Mexico, Washington, Doha, Venezuelan, Maduro, U.S, Qatar, Iran, American, Europe, Houston, Diego Ore, Mexico City, Paris

☆ Cuba warns of worsening blackouts as fuel crisis bites
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Marc Frank | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Power blackouts in Cuba are expected to increase significantly due to a lack of fuel, officials warned in a nationwide TV broadcast, worsening the country's plight as it deals with food and medicine shortages. The Communist-run island has been mired in crisis and plagued by blackouts and shortages of food, medicine and fuel since the pandemic. Cuba says U.S. sanctions are largely to blame for the crisis, depriving the country of foreign exchange to import most of its fuel, food and other supplies. Cuba has also seen regular crude and fuel imports from Russia and Mexico, according to shipping data. "Cuba has bought more crude and fuel this year, compared with last year.

Persons: Vicente de la O Levy, Jorge Pinon, Pinon, Fidel Castro’s, Marc Frank, Nelson Acosta, Marianna Parraga, Rami Ayyub Organizations: Energy, Mining, Communist, Gross, Communist Party, University of Texas, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Havana, Washington, Venezuela, Russia, Mexico, Austin ., United States

A woman walks in the Chevron office as the U.S. government granted a six-month license allowing Chevron to boost oil output in U.S.-sanctioned Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela December 2, 2022. Current oil flows mark a 70%-increase from average output in 2022. But to go further requires large specialized drilling rigs that might be difficult to find in Venezuela, the people said. The California-based company's campaign calls for addition of at least two powerful drilling rigs. Other foreign oil companies in joint ventures with PDVSA also have begun early planning for possible drilling campaigns.

Persons: Gaby Oraa, Petropiar, PDVSA, Chevron, Marianna Parraga, Sabrina Valle, Matt Spetalnick, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Chevron, REUTERS, Companies, Chevron Corp, OPEC, Treasury, U.S . Office, Foreign Assets, U.S, PDVSA, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, HOUSTON, Washington, The California, Lake Maracaibo, U.S

☆ Mexico's first LNG plant to receive final piece in days
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LNG developer New Fortress Energy (NFE.O) is planning to begin production at the 1.4-million-tons-per-year floating plant off the coast of Altamira, Mexico, in the coming weeks. The first of three rigs that will compose the floating LNG facility arrived in Mexican waters in late August. Two additional floating LNG plants are under construction, with operations startup planned for 2025. A total of nine onshore and floating LNG production facilities are planned for Mexico's Gulf and Pacific coasts, mostly to process U.S. gas. New Fortress in 2021 bought oil rigs from Maersk Drilling to convert them into floating LNG plants.

Persons: Christopher Guinta, Arathy Somesakhar, Marianna Parraga, Timothy Gardner Organizations: U.S . Coast Guard, New Fortress Energy, Kiewit Offshore Services, Coast Guard, New, New Fortress, CFE, U.S . Department of Energy, Drilling, Thomson Locations: Texas, Altamira, Mexico, Ingleside , Texas, Mexico's, U.S, Gulf, Pacific, Ukraine, Brazil

[1/2] The logo of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is pictured at the company's headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico July 26, 2023. A third senior trading source confirmed that Vitol had resumed business with Mexico. Neither the deals nor the fact that Mexico resumed trading with Vitol have previously been reported. Vitol declined to comment while Pemex and the Mexican government did not respond to requests for comment. Eventually, Pemex officials pulled the plug on contract negotiations after Vitol officials refused their proposed changes to terms.

Persons: Raquel Cunha, Pemex, cargos, Vitol, Arvin, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Octavio Romero, Pemex's Romero, Javier Aguilar, Aguilar, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Ana Isabel Martinez, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Luc Cohen, Marianna Parraga, Florence Tan, Stephen Eisenhammer, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, U.S . Department of Justice, Thames, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Swiss, Brazil, Ecuador, Liberia, Houston, Pajaritos, Denmark, Tuxpan, Tampico, America, Geneva, U.S, Brooklyn, London, New York, Singapore

Monrovia NSU CHALLENGER bulk carrier transits the expanded canal through Cocoli Locks at the Panama Canal, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Aris Martinez Acquire Licensing RightsSept 12 (Reuters) - The Panama Canal could further reduce the maximum number of vessel transits authorized per day if a drought that has hit the waterway this year continues, its administrator said on Tuesday. In a move to ease the bottleneck of ships waiting, the canal has recently changed its reservation system to allow more non-booked vessels to pass and to give priority to the ships waiting the longest. The head of the Panama Canal Authority, Ricaurte Vasquez, said the waterway would opt for reducing daily transits if needed, before planning any further cut to authorized vessel draft, which affects shippers the most. PROLONGED DROUGHTVasquez said that even though this drought has not been the most severe Panama has ever seen, it could be very long.

Persons: Aris Martinez, Vasquez, Ricaurte Vasquez, Marianna Parraga, Gary McWilliams, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Monrovia NSU CHALLENGER, REUTERS, Aris, Panama Canal Authority, Thomson Locations: Cocoli, Panama, Panama City, Pacific

[1/2] Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures during a meeting with Chile's Ambassador to Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri, at Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela August 16, 2023. Energy trade, debt repayment and new financing likely are the main focus of the Sept. 8-14 visit, officials and sources said. Beijing's decision to host Maduro coincides with a G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, which Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend. In 2020, the Maduro administration and Chinese banks again agreed to a grace period on some $19 billion of Chinese debt, according to Reuters reporting. Despite sanctions on Venezuela, China imported around 390,000 barrels per day of crude from the country between January and August this year, totalling roughly 12.9 million metric tons, data from commodities consultancy Vortexa showed.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Han Zheng, Wang Yi, hegemonism, Han, Pedro Tellechea, Tellechea, Xi Jinping, Maduro, Hugo Chavez's, Joe Biden's, PDVSA, CNPC, Donald Trump, Andrew Hayley, Liz Lee, Joe Cash, Vivian Seuqera, Mayela, Marianna Parraga, Christopher Cushing, Frances Kerry, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, West, Energy, China National Petroleum Corp, Venezuelan, Venezuelan Oil, Shanghai International Energy Exchange, Shanghai Petroleum, Natural Gas Exchange, South, Shanghai, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Miraflores, Caracas, Rights BEIJING, CARACAS, China, OPEC, Beijing, Shanghai, Asia, New Delhi, Malaysia, South American, Houston

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