Oil sales in February fell 182,000 bpd compared to the same span in 2005

Venezuela is the fifth largest oil supplier to US

Including by-products, state oil firm Pdvsa in February sold 1.47 million bpd to the United States

Venezuelan oil exports in January and February averaged 1.2 million bpd (File Photo)

MARIANNA PARRAGA
EL UNIVERSAL

For the last three years, Venezuela was on and off the third and fourth place among the largest oil suppliers to the United States, but last February the South American country ranked fifth, as oil sales to the US decreased by 53,000 bpd (4.3 percent) to 1.17 million bpd compared to the previous month.

According to the latest data published by the Energy Information Agency (EIA), the statistical arm of the US Energy Department, oil exports in February plummeted 182,000 bpd (13.4 percent) compared to the same month in 2005, when oil sales to the US averaged 1.35 million bpd.

In January and February this year, Venezuelan oil shipments to the US averaged 1.2 million bpd. In the same span in 2005, Venezuelan oil exports were 1.35 million bpd. Therefore, Venezuelan oil sales to the United States dropped 11.1 percent (151,000 bpd) in January-February this year compared to 2005.

EIA certified that the largest oil suppliers to the United States in February were Mexico (1.77 MMbpd), Canada (1.7 MMbpd), Saudi Arabia (1.41 MMbpd), Nigeria (1.34 MMbpd) and Venezuela (1.17 MMbpd.) These five countries amounted for 75 percent of US oil imports.

"US total oil imports averaged 9.86 MMbpd in February, which represents an increase of 147,000 bpd compared to January," the agency reported.

By-products
Besides crude oil, Venezuela delivered some 297,000 bpd of oil by-products to the United States in February, thus taking total hydrocarbon sales to the US to 1.47 million bpd, according to the EIA. The statistical arm of the US Energy Department ranked Venezuela third among the largest oil suppliers in general, behind Canada (2.24 MMbpd of oil and oil byproducts) and Mexico (1.87 MMbpd.)

Compared to the same month in 2005, when Venezuelan hydrocarbon sales to the US were 1.69 million bpd, oil and oil by-products sales to the US decreased by 218,000 bpd (12.9 percent.)

In January-February, Venezuelan oil and oil by-products average accumulated oil sales to the US were 1.5 million bpd, a drop of 121,000 bpd (7.4 percent) compared to 1.62 million bpd in the same period in 2005.

Venezuela was followed by Saudi Arabia, whose oil sales to the US averaged 1.45 million bpd in February; Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, Iraq, Virgin Islands, Russia, Ecuador, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Norway and Kuwait.

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.