Venezuela oil exports reportedly fall sharply after US seizure of tanker

The seizure of the Skipper on Wednesday marked the first US capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019

Venezuelan oil exports have reportedly fallen sharply since the US seized a tanker this week and imposed fresh sanctions on shipping companies and vessels doing business with Caracas, according to shipping data, documents and maritime sources.

The US seizure of the Skipper tanker off Venezuela’s coast on Wednesday was the first US capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019 and marked a sharp escalation in rising tensions between the Trump administration and the government of Nicolás Maduro. Sin

ce the seizure, only tankers chartered by US oil company Chevron have sailed into international waters carrying Venezuelan crude, the data reviewed by the Reuters news agency showed. Che

vron has US government authorisation to operate through joint ventures in the country and export its oil to the US. Oth

er tankers that have loaded about 11m barrels of oil and fuel are stuck in Venezuelan waters, according to the sources and data seen by Reuters. The

US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said this week the Skipper was intercepted and retained under a seizure warrant, while Guyana’s maritime authority said it was falsely flying the country’s flag. The tan

ker is now reportedly heading to Houston, where it will offload its cargo on to smaller ships. Washing

ton is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday, according to Reuters. Venezue

la has condemned the tanker seizure as “blatant theft” and “international piracy”, saying it would file complaints with international bodies. At the same tim