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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

File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports in August fell 38% from a three-year high in July as state-run oil company PDVSA struggled to keep its heavy crude upgraders in service, according to vessel monitoring data and internal company documents. Venezuela's oil exports in August dropped to about 544,000 barrels per day (bpd) from more than 877,000 bpd in July, according to LSEG Eikon vessel tracking data. China remained the main destination for most of the OPEC member's crude and fuel exports, including cargoes transshipped through Malaysia. At the Petropiar crude upgrader, operated by PDVSA and Chevron and that processes extra heavy oil, maintenance affected a vacuum distillation unit. PDVSA boosted shipments of crude, fuel oil, gasoline blend stock and gas oil to ally Cuba to some 65,000 bpd, from 53,000 bpd in July.

Persons: PDVSA, Russia's Roszarubezhneft, Marianna Parraga, Marguerita Choy Organizations: American, Chevron, U.S, PDVSA, China National Petroleum Corp, Italy's Eni, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, U.S, China, Malaysia, Cuba, Houston, Maracay

[1/2] The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at the booth of Eni during the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja, Nigeria February 10, 2020. Under the revised terms, Eni and Repsol can supply the state company with fuels, potentially helping Venezuela ease an intermittent scarcity that has led to long lines at gasoline stations in recent years. Eni and Repsol were not immediately available to respond to a Reuters request for comment. Crude received by Eni and Repsol under their swap deal has mostly been sent to Repsol's refineries in Spain. The field is run by the Petrosucre joint venture between Eni and PDVSA.

Persons: Afolabi, Repsol, PDVSA, Joe Biden's, Perla, Marianna Parraga, Francesca Landini, Pietro Lombardi, Mircely, Matt Spetalnick, David Holmes Organizations: Eni, Nigeria International Petroleum Summit, REUTERS, Companies, U.S . State Department, Kuwait Petroleum, Repsol, U.S . Treasury, PDVSA, Perla, Washington, Thomson Locations: Nigeria, Abuja, HOUSTON, Venezuela, Europe, Venezuelan, PDVSA's, Italy's Milazzo, Kuwait, U.S, Spain, Chevron, American, Venezuela's Gulf, Colombia, Milan, Madrid, Maracay, Washington

CARACAS, July 17 (Reuters) - The families of Venezuelan migrants lost in the Caribbean sea are demanding their government investigate the disappearance of their loved ones after years of stasis. In Aruba, migrants must scale rocky outcrops of up to four meters high and many fail, drowning as a result they said, though bodies have not been found. There are no investigations in Aruba or Curacao into the whereabouts of Venezuelan migrants missing during sea crossings, an official with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. "We went to Caracas to look for answers," said Ana Arias, a 43-year-old housewife whose daughter Luisannys Betancourt went missing on a boat journey in April 2019. Reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas, Tibisay Romero in Valencia and Mircely Guanipa in Maracay Writing by Oliver GriffinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jhonny Romero, Romero, Jhonny de Jesus, Shalick Clement, Ana Arias, Luisannys Betancourt, Luisannys, Carolina Bastardo, Ana Maria, We've, Vivian Sequera, Tibisay Romero, Mircely, Oliver Griffin Organizations: United Nations, International Organization for Migration, UN, Reuters, Boat, Caribbean Coast Guard, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela's, Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, Caracas, Africa, Europe, Colombia, Panama, Venezuelan, Grenada, Valencia

☆ Venezuelan opposition party replaces Guaido as candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5, CARACAS - Venezuelan opposition party Voluntad Popular on Friday named a new candidate for a key presidential primary in October, replacing formerly anti-government leader Juan Guaido who left Venezuela unexpectedly in late April. At a news conference, Voluntad Popular named political coordinator Freddy Superlano, a 46-year-old engineer and critic of President Nicholas Maduro, as its nominee, explaining Guaido could not represent the party from "exile." Voluntad Popular member Desiree Barboza said the decision to name Superlano the party's candidate was unanimous. From 2019 to December 2022, Guaido served as acting president in a shadow government challenging Maduro until the opposition dissolved it. Like Guaido, Superlano is barred by judicial and administrative rulings from running for public office.

☆ Exclusive: Venezuela's oil tankers at risk of sinking, fires, spills, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Mircely Guanipa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The report by PDVSA's maritime branch, entitled "Critical deficiencies and risks of PDV Marina's tanker fleet," said years of deferred maintenance had left the entire fleet with "low levels of reliability," at risk of spills, sinking, fires, collisions or flooding. The report, dated March 2023, was among eight documents shared with Reuters describing the state of PDVSA's tanker fleet from the oil company's corporate office, trading division and maritime branch, as well as Venezuela's maritime authority. Five of PDVSA's tankers are at least 30 years old, past their recommended lifespan, according to the PDV Marina report. "The tanker fleet is showing a decline in the quality of its operations due to advanced physical deterioration, which implies higher maintenance and repair costs. Planning for sending the tankers to dry docks has been very affected by lack of payment to shipyards and providers," the PDV Marina report said.

HOUSTON/PUNTO FIJO, Venezuela, April 4 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports rose in March to the highest monthly average since August, boosted by a resumption of loadings after an export freeze and by rising cargoes assigned to Chevron Corp (CVX.N), according to documents and shipping data. State oil company PDVSA has reinstated two export contracts after a January freeze by new boss Pedro Tellechea: a medium-term contract with Hangzhou Energy, and another with Portugal-based Adinius Sociedade de Servicios, the documents showed. Oil swap deals with Chevron, Cuba's state company Cubametales and Iran's Naftiran Intertrade Co (NICO) - and most exports of oil byproducts - have continued flowing without interruption during the freeze. Chevron received and exported about 115,000 bpd of Venezuelan heavy crude to the U.S., an increase from about 80,000 bpd in February. Oil exports averaged 774,420 bpd in March, the highest since August, as state company PDVSA reinstated supply contracts that allowed it to ship more crude and fuel in supertankers.

He was replaced by Pedro Rafael Tellechea, who had been named to head PDVSA in January. Maduro said that his government was committed to "going to the root" of corruption, calling the probe which began last year "professional, scientific and disciplined." The Finance Ministry, the central bank, and PDVSA did not respond to requests for comment. It is unclear whether the corruption probe and contract review will concretely improve PDVSA's cash flows in the near future. PDVSA last year delayed cash payments in dollars to several of its suppliers because of dwindling income.

[1/5] A Venezuelan flag next to some flags of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA is pictured near the company's headquarters, in Caracas, Venezuela March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, March 20 (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Monday accepted the resignation of the country's powerful oil minister following the detention of at least six high level officials amid a corruption probe focused on state-run company PDVSA and the judiciary. Arresting government officials for corruption is rare in Venezuela, a country that rights groups such as Transparency International have described as opaque. The sources also said that at least 20 lower level officials at PDVSA have been arrested in recent days. The arrests are the largest recent crackdown on alleged PDVSA corruption.

☆ Exclusive: Iran to start revamp at Venezuela's largest refining complex within weeks - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Mircely Guanipa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The companies are now expected to sign in the coming weeks a 460-million-euro contract to revamp the 955,000-bpd Paraguana refinery complex on the coast of western Venezuela, according to the sources. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arrived in Caracas on Friday and met Venezuela's oil minister Tareck El Aissami, according to tweets from the Iranian embassy in Caracas and Venezuela's oil ministry. PDVSA, NIORDC and Venezuela's oil ministry did not reply to requests for comment. A QUARTER OF CAPACITYA project to restore the complex's dilapidated power supply is also planned as part of the revamp, according to the sources. During the El Palito revamp, PDVSA sent home hundreds of Venezuelan workers to make way for the Iranian technicians, which triggered protests.

[1/2] An oil tanker is docked while oil is pumped into it at the ships terminal of PDVSA's Jose Antonio Anzoategui industrial complex in the state of Anzoategui April 15, 2015. It reinforces measures implemented last year after several buyers skipped out on payments for oil, which provides most of the South American country's income. After taking the helm, Tellechea launched an extensive audit of supply contracts, according to a written order to PDVSA seen by Reuters. The new terms narrow a wide variety of contract modalities to a few requiring prepayment of cargoes entirely in cash or allowing payment via goods and services to Venezuela, but they must be received before Venezuela will release the oil, according to the documents. Even long-term buyers must abide by the new rules that require payment in full by cash before each oil delivery.

☆ Venezuelan teachers march for better pay amid sky-high inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Teachers, retirees and workers' unions marched in at least six Venezuelan cities on Monday to demand better salaries, as the government of President Nicolas Maduro faces renewed challenges in its attempt to fight inflation. The minimum monthly salary for a public school teacher is about $10, while university professors earn between $60 and $80. I earn 460 bolivars a month (about $23)," said Odalis Aguilar, a 50-year-old teacher who marched in the city of Maracay. In the central state of Carabobo, teachers and public employees also held demonstrations, saying salaries do not cover the cost of food and medicine. Over the weekend the government paid public employees a bonus equivalent to $29.80.

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.

[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.

☆ Venezuela's biggest refinery halts gasoline production -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A refining unit that turns crude oil into fuel at Venezuela's largest crude processing facility has broken down, three people familiar with the operations told Reuters on Friday, halting production at the key gasoline producing plant. The breakdown of the fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) caused the country's largest refinery, 645,000 barrel per day (bpd) Amuay on the Paraguana peninsula, to halt gasoline production on Thursday, one of the sources said. Venezuela's refineries suffer frequent outages leading to production losses due to system failures and lack of supplies. Amuay, together with the nearby Cardon refinery, make up the Paraguana Refining Center (CRP) in Venezuela's western Falcon state, with a combined crude processing capacity of 955,000 bpd. Cardon's catalytic cracker, which can process up to 45,000 bpd, was still operational on Friday, the sources said.

☆ Venezuela's largest refining complex halted after blackout -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MARACAY, Venezuela, Oct 20 (Reuters) - A small fire at a vacuum tower and a power blackout halted Venezuela's 955,000-barrel-per-day Paraguana Refining Center early on Thursday, according to six sources close to operations. The blackout affected the entire complex, which ties together the Amuay and Cardon oil refineries, essential for supplying fuel for domestic use. "Everything is stopped, there's not even electricity in the offices," said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe fire, which began in a vacuum tower at Amuay, was controlled hours later, one of the sources said. State oil company PDVSA, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, was attempting to restore power in the refineries, which remained halted later in the morning.

☆ Venezuela flooding death toll rises after three perish near Maracay
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Rescue team members help people to evacuate in the aftermath of devastating floods following heavy rain in the neighbourhood of Los Castanos, in Maracay, Aragua state, Venezuela October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaMARACAY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Flooding in Venezuela's central Aragua state killed at least three people on Monday, adding to the death toll from weeks of intense rains, authorities said. Authorities said multiple families had to be rescued, and that a total of around 50 families were impacted. Heavy rains have killed dozens and left hundreds homeless in the state of Aragua in recent weeks. At least 54 people died in the town of Las Tejerias on Oct. 8 after heavy rains provoked mudslides that buried houses and businesses.

☆ Hundreds search for signs of relatives following Venezuela floods
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Mircely Guanipa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rescue personnel work to recover bodies of people swept away by devastating floods following heavy rain in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela, October 11, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaLAS TEJERIAS, Venezuela, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Venezuelans roamed the streets of Las Tejerias on Tuesday, digging and searching for missing relatives after devastating floods swept through the town over the weekend, leaving many wondering where they would now live. I was left with nothing," said Yolismar Marin, 22, while sitting in a school serving as a shelter for victims of floods that swept through Las Tejerias on Saturday night. Government officials who visited Las Tejerias, about 67 kilometers (41.6 miles) southwest from capital Caracas, promised to recover all the houses and businesses affected. On Tuesday housewife Jennifer Galindez, 46, buried her one-year-old granddaughter Estefania, who drowned after flood water swept into Galindez's home.

☆ Venezuelan rescuers search for missing as flood death toll grows
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Mircely Guanipa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rains on Saturday night swept large tree trunks and debris from surrounding mountains into Las Tejerias, 40 miles (67 kilometers) southwest of Caracas, and damaging businesses and farmland. At least 36 people have been killed by the floods while 56 remain missing, Remigio Ceballos, vice president of citizen security area, told reporters in Las Tejerias on Monday. "The water swept me away," she said, adding that she eventually found refuge on a platform where there was no current. Houses, shops and other premises in Las Tejerias were fully or partially filled with mud and other debris carried by the water. On Monday, bulldozers could be seen clearing roads in Las Tejerias as the sun shone after several days of rain.

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