Chevron Corp received a U.S. license allowing the second-largest U.S. oil company to expand its production in Venezuela and bring the South American country's crude oil to the United States, said Reuters.
The decision grants broader rights for the last big U.S. oil company still operating in U.S.-sanctioned Venezuela. However, it restricts any cash payments to Venezuela, which could reduce the oil available to export.
License terms are designed to prevent state-run oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela, known as PDVSA, from receiving proceeds from Chevron's petroleum sales, U.S. officials said. The license lasts for six months and will be automatically renewed monthly thereafter, the U.S. Treasury said.
The U.S. authorization "brings added transparency to the Venezuelan oil sector" and allows Chevron to benefit from sales of "oil that is currently being produced" by its joint ventures with PDVSA, the California-based company said in a statement.
Following oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, Chevron received an exemption to trade its Venezuelan crude to recoup pending debts. But those privileges were suspended a year later. 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.
The United States issued the license on the same day that Venezuela and opposition leaders began a political dialogue in Mexico City by agreeing to ask the United Nations to oversee a fund providing food, healthcare and infrastructure to Venezuelans.
We remind, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC and QatarEnergy announced that they are proceeding with the construction of an USD8.5 B integrated polymers facility in Orange, Texas, expected to create more than 500 full-time jobs and approximately 4,500 construction jobs and generate an estimated USD50 B for the community in residual economic impacts.
mrchub.com