By Marianna Parraga
HOUSTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A 655,000-barrel cargo of
Venezuelan heavy crude chartered by a unit of Italy's Eni SpA departed on Friday from a port operated by state-run
PDVSA, shipping data showed, marking Venezuela's first export to
Europe after a three-month pause.
Eni and Spain's Repsol SA last year received U.S.
authorizations to take Venezuelan oil to Europe as compensation
for outstanding debt in an easing of American sanctions on
Venezuela's oil industry.
But the shipments were allocated intermittently last year.
And so far this year most Venezuelan crude exports have been
halted during a sweeping audit by new PDVSA boss Pedro
Tellechea, who revised contract terms to avoid a series of
failed payments by some customers.
The Greece-flagged Aframax tanker Minerva Alexandra, which
had arrived in Venezuelan waters this month, loaded some 315,000
barrels of Boscan crude and 340,000 barrels of diluted crude
oil, according to internal PDVSA shipping documents and
Refinitiv Eikon data.
PDVSA and Eni did not immediately reply to requests for
comment.
The vessel is bound for Repsol's Cartagena refinery,
according to the documents and data, a Spanish facility that has
processed Venezuelan heavy crudes in the past.
Eni received two cargoes of Venezuelan diluted crude in
June-July last year and two more shipments in November,
according to PDVSA's documents. The oil has helped Italy and
Spain ease a lack of specific crude grades in the aftermath of
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions.
Another energy firm authorized by the United States to
receive and export Venezuelan oil, Chevron Corp , is on
track to ship more than 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the
United States this month under a U.S. license issued in
November.
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Venezuela allocates heavy crude oil cargo to Italy's Eni ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Reporting by Marianna Parraga; additional reporting by
Francesca Landini in Milan; editing by Will Dunham)
Messaging: @mariannaparraga))
