U.S. tightens Venezuela oil sanctions, indicates more actions to come

  • The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday tightened its pressure on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company by making clear that exports of diluents by international shippers could be subject to U.S. sanctions.
  • The change, announced on the Treasury Department’s website, is the latest U.S. measure aimed at pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by limiting access to oil export revenue from PDVSA.
  • PDVSA had long relied on imports of diluents from the United States to add to its extra-heavy oil to make the crude exportable. But that trade was banned in January, forcing the company to look abroad for other suppliers.
  • The changing of the language puts international companies on notice that any continued engagement or transactions they have with PDVSA selling diluents is at risk, or subject to future potential sanctions.

 (Source: Reuters)