Those two customers accounted for a large portion of exports, a sign that PDVSA is consolidating contracts it had with dozens of little-known firms responsible for the loss of billions of dollars from failed payments into fewer agreements. Oil swap deals with Chevron, Cuba's state company Cubametales and Iran's Naftiran Intertrade Co (NICO) - and most exports of oil byproducts - have continued flowing without interruption during the freeze. PDVSA and its joint ventures in March shipped a total of 774,420 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and fuel, mainly to China, a rebound from the low figures registered in the two previous months, the documents and data showed. A total of eight very large crude carriers (VLCC) set sail from Venezuelan ports, which eased a tanker bottleneck that had built up since early 2023. Chevron received from PDVSA and exported about 115,000 bpd of Venezuelan heavy crude to the United States, an increase from about 80,000 bpd in February.
PDVSA and Venezuela's oil ministry did not reply to a request for comment. Hangzhou Energy and Adinius Sociedade de Servicios could not be reached for comment. Venezuela also exported in March 276,000 metric tonnes of oil byproducts, a decrease from the 347,000 tonnes of the previous month and from 727,000 tonnes in January, as shipments of petroleum coke declined.
As part of an extended audit of its accounts receivable and supply contracts, PDVSA is reviewing accounts of Geneva-based firm Maroil Trading, owned by Venezuelan shipping magnate Wilmer Ruperti, over outstanding debts from petroleum coke supply. Ruperti last week said the situation "was resolved." All PDVSA's contract revisions are part of a widespread anti-corruption probe that has resulted in the arrest of more than 40 officials and businessmen according to the Venezuelan attorney general's office. Powerful oil minister Tareck El Aissami resigned last month amid the investigation. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ EXCLUSIVE-Venezuela's PDVSA audits accounts with tycoon's petcoke firm amid probe Venezuela arrests 21 in corruption crackdown, 11 more wanted Venezuela's commercial oil exports nearly halted as reviews expand EXCLUSIVE-Middlemen have left Venezuela's PDVSA with $21.2 billion in unpaid bills Venezuela's Maduro to replace oil minister, police arrest officials in corruption sweep Venezuelan oil exports recovered as more supertankers departed GRAPHIC-Venezuela's monthly oil exports ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston, and Mircely Guanipa in Punto fijo, Venezuela; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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