EL UNIVERSAL
The downward trend the Venezuelan oil byproducts supply to
the US recorded during 2007 remained unchanged in December
and, in this way, annual average sales went down from 277,000
bpd in 2006 to 211,000 bpd in 2007, thus dropping 66,000 bpd
or 23.8 percent.
Consequently, falling oil byproducts shipments pushed down
total Venezuelan hydrocarbon sales to the United States. Based
on the monthly report published by the Energy Information
Administration, the statistical arm of the US Department of
Energy, in 2006 Venezuelan crude oil and byproducts shipments
to the Unites States totaled some 1.42 million bpd. In 2007,
however, the figure declined 4 percent to 1.36 million bpd.
Crude oil shipments to the United States climbed 8,000 bpd,
or 0.7 percent, last year, from 1.14 million bpd to 1.15 bpd.
This slight increase did not offset falling exports of Venezuelan
byproducts.
A hectic December
Last December, Venezuela climbed from the third to
the fourth position in the list of the largest crude oil suppliers
to the US, above Mexico. The ascent came as Venezuela increased
crude oil shipments by 19,000 bpd (1.5 percent) compared to
the previous month.
Overall, Venezuela delivered 157 hydrocarbon shipments to
US seaports, including 91 shipments of Venezuelan crude oil.
The sales of finished gasoline were not recorded, but the
shipments of engine gas totaled 16, most of which were purchased
by BP. Further, there were shipments of jet fuel, fuel oil,
naphtha, distillates, natural gas liquids, asphalt, and coque.
While Venezuelan state-owned oil giant Pdvsa's refining and
marketing branch in the US Citgo was the largest addressee
of Venezuelan crude oil shipments -with 27-, four shipments
amounting to 2.35 million barrels of crude oil were delivered
to Louisiana-based Chalmette refinery, which represented 76,000
bpd. The facility is 50 percent owned by Pdvsa, with the remaining
50 percent stake in the hands of US oil major Exxon Mobil.
Additionally, Exxon Mobil purchased six shipments of Venezuelan
crude oil to feed its refineries in the US. Such purchases
totaled 3.23 million bpd, which translates into 104,000 bpd.
After Exxon Mobil won court orders to freeze Pdvsa's bank
accounts and assets outside Venezuela for up to USD 12 billion
early in 2008, the Venezuelan holding discontinued trade relations
with the world's largest oil corporation. Suspension of crude
oil deliveries has not hit Chalmette refinery so far. However,
based on the EIA figures, sometimes Exxon Mobil's circumstantial
purchases of Venezuelan crude oil are higher than the oil
sales provided for under crude oil supply agreement for Chalmette
refinery.
The United States crude oil imports averaged 9.81 million
bpd in December, a drop of 160,000 bpd compared to November.
mparraga@eluniversal.com
Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.
msuarez@eluniversal.com
