By Marianna Parraga
HOUSTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Chevron, the only U.S. oil major operating in Venezuela, is calling employees back to the South American country as its crude exports to the U.S. resume and
it tries to secure normal operations, according to a source and shipping data.
The company requested on Monday that around 20 employees of the Venezuela division who had been abroad for the holidays return to their posts after international flights began operating again, a source close to the company's operations said.
Transportation into Venezuela had been stymied over the past month amid a buildup of U.S. forces in the region that culminated with the capture and arrest of Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Saturday.
An oil tanker chartered by Chevron carrying some 300,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast departed on Monday from the OPEC country's waters, shipping data showed. The company had not exported any cargoes since January 1.
Chevron did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Sunday, the company said it remained focused on the safety and wellbeing of employees, as well as asset integrity. "We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations," Chevron said.
The Houston-based oil major, which has a U.S. authorization to operate in the country and export its oil despite sanctions, has been the only company able to ship oil from Venezuela almost uninterruptedly since U.S. President Donald Trump announced an oil blockade last month. Trump said on Saturday that an "oil embargo" remained in full force.
The return of Chevron's staff and the resumption of oil exports are in line with the company's strategy to resume normal business in Venezuela despite ongoing political turmoil, and secure the continuity of oil output and exports that are key for Chevron to keep recovering pending debt in the country, the source said.
State oil company PDVSA has in recent days increased pressure on many of its joint-venture partners, including Chevron, to curb crude output as onshore and floating stocks were mounting amid an almost complete export paralysis since mid-December.
But storage at Chevron's two largest projects in Venezuela - Petropiar and Petroboscan - has not filled up, leaving room for the company to avoid any immediate output cuts, the source said.
As of Monday, Chevron's output in both projects so far this month was about 240,000 barrels per day, near top capacity, the person added.
The fluidity of Chevron's operations in Venezuela, which has in recent years emerged as PDVSA's main joint-venture partner, amid the country's deep political turmoil contrasts with the state-run company's situation.
PDVSA is struggling to keep oil output, refining and commercial operations running amid mounting inventories, forced price discounts and a large export fall.
In a relief for the company, PDVSA and middlemen carrying its oil to Asia were able to take out about a dozen sanctioned tankers loaded with Venezuelan oil and fuel in early January despite the U.S. blockade, according to shipping data and sources including TankerTrackers.com.
It was unclear where the vessels are currently heading and whether they will be able to reach their intended destinations.
(Reporting by Marianna Parraga and Sheila Dang in Houston; Editing by Liz Hampton, Nathan Crooks, Chizu Nomiyama and Nia Williams)
