LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

Energy ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

January 3, 2025

What’s Ahead for Venezuela’s Oil and Gas Sector?

Venezuelan oil exports surged in 2024 as state-run PDVSA and its subsidiaries were able to boost crude output. A PDVSA oil refinery in northern Venezuela is pictured. // File Photo: Venezuelan Government.

Q

A

Juan Pablo Fuentes, assistant director and economist at Moody’s Analytics: “Venezuela’s crude oil production has gradually recovered in recent years, with output rising to an estimated average of 850,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2024, the highest level since 2018. This recovery was aided by the Biden administration’s temporary easing of oil sanctions imposed in 2017. Even before formally relaxing restrictions in 2023, the Biden administration did not fully enforce oil sanctions, enabling the Maduro regime to increase oil sales to markets such as China, Iran, and Türkiye. The easing of sanctions in 2023 allowed Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. market to resume, with exports reaching 311,000 bpd in July 2024, the highest level since 2018. However, following Maduro’s re-election in July, the Biden administration re-imposed some sanctions, but this did not significantly hurt Venezuela’s oil output…”

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ABOUT THE Energy ADVISOR

A sister publication of the Inter-American Dialogue’s daily Latin America Advisor, the weekly Energy Advisor captures fresh analysis from business leaders and government officials on the most important developments in oil and gas, biofuels, the power sector, renewables, new technologies, and the policy debates shaping the future of energy in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. To subscribe or for more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.

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Staff

Gene Kuleta
Editor
P. 202.463.2920
E. gkuleta@thedialogue.org

Carl David
Goette-Luciak
Reporter

Nili Blanck
Reporter

board of advisors

Nigel Blackaby
Global Head, International Arbitration Group,
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Jimena Blanco
Chief Analyst,
Verisk Maplecroft

María José Cortés
Head of ESG,
Atlas Renewable Energy

Jeffrey Davidow
Senior Counselor,
The Cohen Group

Analia Gonzalez
Leader, Arbitration & Litigation,
Laitn America, BakerHostetler

Jonathan C. Hamilton
Partner,
White & Case

Raul Herrera
Partner, Corporate &
Securities Practice,
Arnold & Porter

James R. Jones
Chairman,
Monarch Global Strategies

Jorge Kamine
Partner, Corporate &
Financial Services,
Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Craig A. Kelly
Senior Director,
Int’l Government Relations,
Exxon Mobil

Jeremy Martin
Director,
Energy Program,
Institute of the Americas

Larry Pascal
Chairman, Americas
Practice Group,
Haynes & Boone

R. Kirk Sherr
President,
Clearview Strategy Group

Daniela Stevens
Director,
Energy Transition and Climate Program,
Inter-American Dialogue

Doris Rodríguez
Partner,
Hunton Andrews Kurth

Alexandra Valderrama
Director,
International Government
Affairs, Chevron

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