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☆ Guyana projects state oil revenue to hit $1.63 billion this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Neil Marks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The drilling results drove the nation's reserves to more than 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil. The country's oil production could reach some 810,000 barrels per day by 2025 with the startup of the third production vessel, he said. A consortium led by U.S. producer Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) is responsible for all the country's oil output. The nation's oil and gas sector is estimated to have expanded by 125% last year, with a total of 101.4 million barrels of oil produced, compared with 42.7 million in 2021. The county's Natural Resource Fund held $1.27 billion at the end of 2022 after withdrawing about $608 million to finance state development priorities, Singh said.

☆ Guyana expects proposal from India for long-term crude purchases
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Neil Marks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Vessels carrying supplies for an offshore oil platform operated by Exxon Mobil are seen at the Guyana Shore Base Inc wharf on the Demerara River, south of Georgetown, Guyana January 23, 2020. REUTERS/Luc CohenGEORGETOWN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Guyana expects to soon receive a proposal from India for long-term purchases of the South American country's oil, President Irfaan Ali said on Tuesday, a new attempt to reach a government-to-government deal potentially leading to better sale terms for Guyana. Guyana's government is entitled to a share of crude produced off the nation's coast by a consortium led by Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N). In 2022, Ali's government received a total of 13 cargoes of crude, and it expects to receive and export 17 cargoes this year, the finance minister said earlier this week. Guyana and India in 2021 failed to reach an agreement for direct sales of Guyana's sweet crude to Indian state refiners.

HOUSTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The new head Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA has suspended most oil export contracts while his team reviews them, according to an internal document seen by Reuters and two people familiar with the matter. The freeze is leading to port delays, as vessels that were loading have been sent away and are waiting for new directions, the people said. Cargoes chartered by U.S. oil firm Chevron Corp (CVX.N) and Cuba's Cubametales have not been affected by the contract revision, according to separate documents and the sources. As of Jan. 17, most berths at Venezuela's main oil terminal, Jose port, were empty after vessels were moved away while awaiting further directions. Venezuela's oil exports last year declined 2.5% to 616,540 barrels per day due to infrastructure outages, U.S. sanctions and rising competition in its key Asia market despite assistance from ally Iran, according to shipping data and documents.

Refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) also is looking to work in Guyana in collaboration with ONGC Videsh, two people close to the talks told Reuters. Guyana is offering three deepwater and 11 shallow-water blocks, each averaging 2,000 square kilometers (722 sq miles). Exxon is considering bids on the blocks, said the company's Guyana country chief, Alistair Routledge. To bring more companies into the auction, Guyana did not restrict the amount of blocks companies can bid for, but will limit the awards to three per company. Last year, Exxon, Hess Corp (HES.N) and China's CNOOC (0883.HK) ramped up oil output and exports with their second production vessel.

The government's $1.1 billion share of oil revenue was up sharply from a combined $409 million in profit and royalties in 2021. Guyana is producing about 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and aims to raise output to 1.64 million bpd by end of the decade. Guyana's exports averaged 265,693 bpd last year, more than double the 100,645 bpd in 2021, according to shipping data from Refinitiv Eikon. Crude exports from Latin America's newest oil producer almost tripled in 2022, encouraged by rising production and solid demand in Europe in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion. Total exports represented over $8 billion in gross oil revenue, based on Reuters calculations.

Companies Chevron Corp FollowHOUSTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Chevron Corp's (CVX.N) first cargo of Venezuelan crude under a U.S. license received in November has departed from a ship-to-ship transfer hub near Aruba to its Pascagoula, Mississippi refinery, according to shipping data seen by Reuters on Tuesday. State-run oil company PDVSA allocated Chevron the first crude cargo this month, which was loaded at Venezuela's Jose terminal last week, according to shipping data and documents. Chevron's tanker Caribbean Voyager this week transferred the 500,000-barrel cargo of Hamaca heavy crude it had loaded in Venezuela to Malta-flagged vessel Sealeo at a ship-to-ship hub near the Caribbean island of Aruba, Refinitiv Eikon tanker monitoring data showed. The Sealeo is scheduled to arrive in Chevron's Pascagoula refinery on Jan. 15, according to the Eikon data. A separate Venezuelan crude cargo chartered by Chevron on tanker Kerala was on Tuesday at Maracaibo Lake's navigation channel, where lack of dredging and a stranded vessel are creating limitations for ship transit.

☆ Venezuelan president names new head of PDVSA, foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CARACAS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday named Pedro Rafael Tellechea as the new head of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) (PDVSA.UL) and said Yvan Gil Pinto would become the new foreign minister. Exports this year are expected to get a lift after the United States relaxed oil sanctions by authorizing some PDVSA partners to resume taking Venezuelan crude. Former head of PDVSA Asdrubal Chavez, a cousin of late President Hugo Chavez and former oil minister, will soon have new responsibilities, Maduro added. In a separate tweet, Maduro named Gil Pinto to head the country's diplomacy. "It's a great responsibility I'm sure he will perform with great professionalism," Maduro said about Gil Pinto, who had been serving as vice-minister for Europe.

REUTERS/Jorge Silva/HOUSTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports last year declined due to infrastructure outages, U.S. sanctions and rising competition in its key Asia market despite assistance from ally Iran, according to shipping data and documents. Iran expanded its role in Venezuela last year, sending supplies to boost exports and technicians to repair a refinery. Venezuela's crude production averaged some 721,000 bpd according to a preliminary data for December and OPEC reports. A U.S. license granted to Chevron Corp (CVX.N) to recover output and exports in Venezuela will take effect this year. A global appetite for fuel alternatives boosted its oil byproducts exports, which added millions of dollars last year.

But a plan to move heavy oil quickly from inventories at the Petroboscan joint venture with state-run company PDVSA is facing delays because of lack of dredging at Maracaibo Lake's navigation channel, the people said. Petroboscan has instructed vessels since to limit their draft after loading at the Bajo Grande oil terminal. That means about 250,000 barrels of Boscan heavy crude can move at a time through the channel linking Bajo Grande to the Caribbean Sea. In a sign that Chevron expects to expand operations quickly, the oil producer has begun advertising for Venezuelan contract administrators and cargo schedulers. The company wants to assemble a trading team to market oil from Venezuela and expand its role in the four projects.

That outage dropped the United States behind top exporter Australia as global demand for the fuel boomed. In 2022, U.S. exports of natural gas as LNG rose 8% to 10.6 bcfd, just shy of Australia's 10.7 bcfd. The United States remained ahead of Qatar, which in third place shipped 10.5 bcfd, according to data provider Refinitiv. CROWN WITHIN SIGHTHowever, the loss of Freeport LNG's supply at mid-year took away the U.S. chance to take the crown as top exporter in 2022. In 2021, when prices in Asia were higher, just 35%, or about 3.3 bcfd, of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe.

☆ Chevron to send 500,000-barrel cargo of Venezuelan oil to its Pascagoula refinery
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HOUSTON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - U.S. oil producer Chevron Corp (CVX.N) plans to export this month its first cargo of Venezuelan crude to its Pascagoula, Mississippi refinery following a U.S. license granted last year, according to shipping documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The 500,000-barrel cargo of Hamaca heavy crude, to be loaded at state-run PDVSA's Jose port, comes from the Petropiar oil joint venture operated by both companies. As of Tuesday, the tanker scheduled to carry the shipment, the Bahamas-flagged Caribbean Voyager, was waiting to load near Jose, Refinitiv Eikon data showed. Chevron declined to comment on Tuesday and PDVSA did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Washington had previously authorized Italy's Eni (ENI.MI) and Spain's Repsol (REP.MC) to recoup pending debts in Venezuela by taking Venezuelan crude for refining in Europe.

A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said President Joe Biden's administration will continue to back Venezuela's interim government "regardless of what form it takes." He did not comment on whether that support included extending a key protection to Citgo under the new structure. Another potential scenario with the commission taking over: a new U.S. court battle over the legitimacy of Citgo's board of directors. A federal court in 2020 ratified the executives appointed by Guaido to run Citgo. Lawyers advising Citgo's supervisory boards have warned about the challenges of presenting a new government structure before U.S. courts.

Companies Chevron Corp FollowHOUSTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - U.S. oil company Chevron Corp (CVX.N) is sending two oil tankers to Venezuela, one of which will load the first cargo of crude destined for the United States in nearly four years, according to a person familiar with the matter and shipping data. On Friday, a Chevron-chartered vessel approached the South American country's waters to pick up a cargo of Venezuelan crude. A second tanker carrying a cargo of diluents to a Chevron oil joint venture is due to arrive in the country early next month, the person said. The U.S. last month issued a 6-month license to Chevron authorizing it to take an expanded role at four Venezuelan oil joint ventures that produce, process and export oil, and to bring their oil to the United States. Washington officials have said further easing of Venezuelan oil sanctions could come with a reinstatement of excluded political candidates and election observers.

[1/5] Drivers wait in line to get gasoline amid repeated outages at refineries operated by state oil company PDVSA and a lack of imports of diesel and gasoline, in Maracay, Venezuela, December 9, 2022. In 2020 and again in 2021, drivers had to line up for days to get gasoline and farmers halted work because of insufficient diesel. Right after midnight, the station ran out of gasoline," said Ramon Blanco, a 32-year-old who filled up the next day at another station. But lines also have reappeared in Falcon state, home of PDVSA's largest oil refineries. "We are trying our best because we are under pressure to restart some plants for producing gasoline," said a worker from Amuay.

☆ Venezuelan officials, Chevron execs hold closed-door meetings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The first meeting with workers was planned to be held at joint venture Petropiar in the Orinoco Belt oil region. But after last-minute changes to the agenda, executives and officials opted for a closed-door encounter. The second of those private meetings is planned for Thursday at the site of the Petroboscan joint venture in western Venezuela, two of the sources added. A Chevron spokesperson declined to comment, citing a policy of not commenting on commercial matters. It was unclear whether new general managers at some joint ventures were appointed, as planned.

Exports also benefited from the restart of a PDVSA-Chevron crude upgrader at their Petropiar joint venture in the Orinoco Belt. Nearby, one of Petrolera Sinovensa's two crude blending plants operated by PDVSA and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) also resumed work. Venezuelan PDVSA's crude processing facilities restarted operations after outages and a lack of diluents, leading to a sale increase in November. PDVSA also sent about 38,000 bpd of crude, fuel oil and gasoline blend stock to key political ally Cuba. Another Iran-flagged tanker in Venezuela, the Huge, is also expected to navigate back carrying fuel oil for NICO this month as part of an oil swap with PDVSA, according to the documents.

The Biden administration last week authorized Chevron to expand operations in Venezuela and resume taking prized heavy crude to the United States. Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N), PBF Energy (PBF.N) and Citgo Petroleum have shown interest in getting access to the oil Chevron is expecting in coming weeks, according to the people. No Venezuelan oil officially has been allocated to Chevron yet and no chartering contracts have been signed to transport cargoes to the United States, according to Venezuelan export schedules and Refinitiv freight data. Valero, PBF and other U.S. independent refiners would not need any new authorization to buy Venezuelan oil from Chevron. The primary effect will be to allow some Venezuelan oil to flow back to the United States, "which will help the U.S. refining system," Wirth said.

But satellite images and photos show the Chinese-owned ship had loaded the oil four months earlier in Venezuela, an OPEC nation in South America under U.S. oil sanctions. Two of those tankers, including the Young Yong, were designated this month by U.S. authorities for violating sanctions on Iran, one of Venezuela's closest allies. The U.S. Treasury declined to comment on the involvement of the Young Yong or the other vessels identified by Reuters in shipping Venezuela crude. Indonesian authorities said in early November that the Young Yong had run aground off the Riau Islands on Oct. 26. The United States imposed oil trading sanctions on Venezuela in 2019 after calling Maduro's re-election the previous year a sham.

☆ Venezuela to sign new contracts to boost oil output at joint ventures
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Venezuela plans to soon sign new contracts to boost oil output at joint ventures between state firm PDVSA (PDVSA.UL) and private energy companies, the country's oil minister Tareck El Aissami said on Tuesday. The U.S. Treasury Department on Saturday authorized California-based Chevron Corp (CVX.N) to expand operations at its Venezuela joint ventures, which is expected to help the country reanimate crude production and exports following almost four years of harsh U.S. oil trading sanctions. El Aissami made the announcement on Twitter following a meeting with U.S. Chevron's top executive in Venezuela, Javier La Rosa. Chevron is a minority partner in four oil joint ventures in Venezuela with PDVSA, which have produced this year between 60,000 and 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude. The new license authorizes the U.S. company to export its projects' oil to the United States.

The United States on Saturday granted Chevron a six-month license to operate in Venezuela, reinstating oil trading privileges it had, while preventing exchanges of cash and requiring the crude cargoes go to U.S. refiners. Executives at Venezuelan state firm PDVSA initially welcomed the authorization for a partial return to the United States, once the country's most important market. In addition, European oil companies Eni (ENI.MI) and Repsol won U.S. approvals to take Venezuelan crude for debt repayment. Chevron's Venezuelan oil cargoes face potential seizures by creditors that have arbitration claims and court judgments, said trading experts and lawyers. Washington placed tight reins on the oil imports to win support from a Congress skeptical of deals with Maduro.

POLITICAL TALKSFollowing oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, Chevron received an exemption to trade its Venezuelan crude to recoup pending debts. Chevron's four PDVSA joint ventures produced about 200,000 barrels per day of crude oil and exported the crude around the world prior to the sanctions. It also allows the U.S. company to import supplies to help process the country's crude oil into exportable grades. That limits any wider expansion of Venezuelan oil production. Chevron and other U.S. oil refiners could benefit from supplies of Venezuela's heavy crude flowing to their U.S. Gulf Coast processing plants.

The decision allows Chevron to revive existing oil projects in the U.S.-sanctioned country and bring new oil supplies to refiners in the United States. However, it restricts cash payments to Venezuela, which could reduce the amount of oil available to Chevron. License terms are designed to prevent Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA from receiving proceeds from Chevron's Venezuelan petroleum sales, U.S. officials said. A Chevron spokesperson said the company was reviewing the license terms and declined immediate comment. Proceeds due Venezuela from Chevron's oil sales would go into a humanitarian fund rather than to PDVSA.

TERMS OF THE LICENSEThe terms readied for approval will prevent Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA from receiving proceeds from Chevron's oil sales. And they will "the use of corrupt shadow firms that control the flow of Venezuela oil to countries like China," said a person familiar with the matter in Washington. The United States this year has kept oil prices from soaring by releasing more than 200 million barrels of the nation's emergency oil reserves. Chevron is a partner with PDVSA in several oil joint ventures that pump and process crude oil for export. Following oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, Chevron got an exemption to trade its Venezuelan crude to recoup billions of dollars in pending debt.

"The softer inflation data took some wind out of the dollar's sails," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Convera in Washington. "The dollar is steadier because we're having this residual, geopolitical skittishness as well as signs of a fairly sturdy U.S. economic backbone in the forms of U.S. retail sales." Retail sales rose 1.3% in October, more than the 1.0% increase that economists polled by Reuters had forecast. The dollar briefly pared losses on release of the retail sales data, but later fell against the euro to trade little changed against major currencies. Yields fell further on the market's benign inflation outlook.

☆ Chile's Codelco trials fully-electric loader in bid to cut emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Natalia A. Ramos Miranda | Marianna Parraga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A LHD electric loader is charged inside the Codelco El Teniente copper mine, the world's largest underground copper mine, near Rancagua, Chile, November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Natalia RamosEL TENIENTE MINE, Chile, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A huge fully electric-powered 14-ton loading shovel has begun operating at Chile's century-old El Teniente copper mine, in what state miner Codelco (COBRE.UL) said on Wednesday was a first for South America. Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, said the equipment the loader and hauler, developed by Swedish manufacturer Epiroc (EPIRa.ST) is the first 100% electric machinery of its kind to operate in the region. El Teniente, located in the highlands some 76 kilometers (47 miles) southeast of Chile's capital, produced 459,817 metric tons of copper last year. Codelco plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030, as it looks to meet targets set by Chile's government in recent years.

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