Summary: Two Chevron-chartered tankers, Dubai Attraction and Carina Voyager, carrying Venezuelan crude oil, remain anchored off the coast of Venezuela awaiting customs documentation for their return.
Background: Venezuela’s state-owned PDVSA has canceled export authorizations, leaving Chevron unable to send the crude oil cargoes to their intended destinations following U.S. secondary sanctions on Venezuelan oil buyers.
Impact
- Tanker Status: Dubai Attraction and Carina Voyager are currently holding their loads in Venezuelan waters, awaiting necessary paperwork for repatriation.
- Additional Tankers Affected: PDVSA has also suspended loading permissions for four more Chevron tankers which had commenced their sailing on Friday, according to sources and shipping data from LSEG.
Historical Context: Chevron received permission in March from the U.S. Treasury Department to export Venezuelan crude oil up until late May under a standalone license for operations in Venezuela, a sanctioned country by the U.S.
Current Developments: PDVSA’s suspension of permissions might shorten this timeline. On Friday, Dubai Attraction and Carina Voyager remained loaded in Venezuelan waters while awaiting customs clearance for their return, per sources and shipping data.
- Cargo Destinations: The Dubai Attraction was headed to Chevron’s Pascagoula refinery in Mississippi, whereas Carina Voyager planned to offload its cargo onto the Valero-chartered Cap Corpus Christi vessel near Aruba, as per shipping and source information.
- Partial Departure: The Cap Corpus Christi departed partially loaded on Friday towards the U.S., failing to complete its transfer from ship-to-ship due to logistical issues, according to LSEG data.
Broader Implications: Other scheduled Chevron vessels for this month, including Pegasus Star, Ionic Anax, Calypso, and Sea Jaguar, have seen their loading windows suspended. Two of these tankers left Venezuelan waters on Friday, as per sources and shipping data.
No Official Comment: Chevron, PDVSA, and Valero did not respond to requests for comments regarding this situation.
Uncertainty Ahead: It remains unclear whether PDVSA will reschedule these cargoes.
