Chevron continues to ship Venezuelan oil, but loading on hold for Chinese buyers, shipping data shows

By Marianna Parraga

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Venezuela was loading crude lone for U.S. large Chevron connected Tuesday, portion operations by state-run lipid steadfast PDVSA to load cargoes for its main customers successful China ​remained connected clasp for a 5th day, shipping information showed.

U.S. forces captured President Nicolas Maduro connected ‌Saturday and took him to New York to look cause charges. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez is present moving the government, which the U.S. ‌has said it volition oversee.

The United States imposed a blockade connected sanctioned lipid tankers sailing into and retired of Venezuelan waters past month, which halted astir exports different than those destined for Chevron.

Chevron is the lone U.S. lipid large operating successful the state nether a U.S. licence that exempts it from sanctions imposed by Washington connected Venezuela's lipid manufacture ⁠to choke disconnected gross that financed Maduro's ‌government.

On Tuesday, respective vessels chartered by Chevron were the lone ones loading crude for export astatine Venezuela's Jose and Bajo Grande ports, vessel monitoring information showed.

Other ships were loading ‍either to determination lipid betwixt home ports oregon to store crude due to the fact that onshore retention was astir wholly full, according to PDVSA's interior documents.

The past crude cargo that was loaded for an Asian lawsuit astatine Jose finished loading connected January 1, according to ​the information and documents. Without much exports, PDVSA could beryllium forced to deepen accumulation cuts it began successful ‌recent days due to the fact that retention tanks are full.

FLOWING

Chevron connected Monday resumed exports of Venezuelan lipid to the U.S. aft a four-day intermission and called workers overseas backmost to its Venezuelan offices arsenic flights to the state restarted. The U.S. steadfast has emerged successful caller weeks arsenic the lone institution fluidly exporting Venezuela's crude.

At slightest a twelve vessels nether sanctions that had loaded successful December and had been stuck successful Venezuela's waters owed to the embargo sailed successful ⁠early January.

Those vessels were carrying astir 12 cardinal barrels of ​crude and fuel. It was unclear wherever the vessels were heading, ​although they were initially loaded for customers successful China. The ships near successful "dark mode," which means that transponders that nonstop retired their determination were switched off. The vessels appeared to interruption ‍the U.S. tanker blockade.

The U.S. ⁠government has not commented connected the vessels oregon whether it authorized the departures. PDVSA has not replied to a petition for comment. Chevron said this week it continues to run "in afloat compliance with each applicable ⁠laws and regulations."