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Pressure From The United States Under Donald Trump Leads Oil Companies To Cancel Operations In Venezuela, Immobilizing Millions Of Barrels Of Oil And Deepening The Country’s Energy Crisis.
The increasing pressure exerted by the United States government has once again directly impacted the oil sector in Venezuela.
Following a new offensive led by Donald Trump against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, at least four major oil companies canceled planned operations at Venezuelan ports.
As a result, the flow of crude oil from the country has been interrupted, exacerbating the difficulties of an industry already weakened by international sanctions and logistical restrictions.
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This move occurred amid a series of recent actions from Washington that raised the level of risk for companies involved in transporting Venezuelan oil. Thus, shipowners and operators began to review contracts and suspend loadings.
Seizure Of Ship Triggers Chain Cancellations
The catalyst for the cancellations occurred after the United States seized a ship carrying nearly two million barrels of crude oil from Venezuela. The cargo was destined for the state-owned PDVSA. The American decision was made last week and quickly generated impacts in the region’s maritime market.
According to industry sources, the seizure caused a “domino effect” among shipping companies. Faced with increased inspections and the risk of sanctions, oil tankers chose to suspend operations at Venezuelan terminals. As a result, the local energy crisis was further aggravated.
In addition, the American offensive included the seizure of a VLCC supertanker. The ship was accused of transporting Venezuelan crude oil clandestinely, in direct violation of sanctions imposed by the international community.
During the investigation, authorities identified that the vessel was operating under a false flag.
It was also found that the same tanker had previously participated in the illegal trade of crude oil from Iran, another country targeted by global sanctions. This history raised the alert level among shipowners and marine insurers.
Millions Of Barrels Of Oil Are Stuck At Sea
With the intensification of actions by the United States, it is estimated that more than 11 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil are currently immobilized on various vessels. Many ships are awaiting new instructions, while others face definitive cancellations of loading contracts.
So far, only vessels chartered by Chevron continue to operate normally. This is because the company has a special license granted by the United States, which allows it to operate in the South American country even amid the sanctions.
Alongside the pressure on Venezuelan oil, the United States conducted attacks against three vessels in the Eastern Pacific, near Colombia. The action was part of Operation Southern Lance and targeted ships allegedly operated by drug traffickers.
According to a publication from Southern Command on the social network X, eight crew members were killed during the offensive. The agency also released a video of the operation, which was reportedly ordered by American Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The United States military intelligence reported that the vessels were using known drug trafficking routes and were engaged in transporting drugs and weapons. This scenario, therefore, reinforces the geopolitical instability that also affects the international oil trade in the region.
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