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Released September 05, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land,
Texas)--Despite ongoing tensions between both nations, U.S. imports of heavy crude oil from Venezuela are on the rise, federal data show.
Of all the global producers of crude oil, only a handful produce a heavier slate. Brazil churns out about 150,000 barrels per day (BBL/d) of the heavy Marlim grade, while Western Canadian Select (WCS) runs at around 2 million BBL/d.
Much of the U.S. refining sector is tooled to run heavier grades of crude, rather than the light, sweet oil found in U.S. shale basins. The Whiting Refinery in Indiana, operated by BP plc (London, England), runs mostly WCS to the tune of 430,000 BBL/d, making it one of the largest refineries in the U.S.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Plant Database can learn more about the Whiting Refinery in a detailed plant profile.
Hobbled by sanctions and crumbling infrastructure, Venezuela produces the heavy Merey 16 grade, though the lack of diluent makes it difficult to move it through export corridors.
Nevertheless, U.S. federal data show more Venezuelan barrels are showing up in the U.S. market. The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the data arm of the Energy Department, showed U.S. refiners took an average of 74,000 BBL/d from Venezuela during the seven-day period ending August 22, up from zero from the same time last year.
That puts Venezuela ahead of Ecuador, which produces the heavy Oriente grade. Ecuador delivered 44,000 BBL/d during the EIA's reporting period in August, down about 55% from the same time last year.
Ecuador's oil output is recovering from July outages on the Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP) and Sistema de Oleoductos Transecuatoriano (SOTE) pipelines, which had been offline for more than 20 days due to severe weather and erosion in the Loco River.
River erosion has impacted Ecuador's midstream assets for years. The country's pipelines travel near rivers, which during the rainy season can face erosion, threatening assets nearby.
The revival of Venezuelan barrels follows the July issuance of limited approval for offtakes of petroleum products from Venezuela offered by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Contral (OFAC). The renewal followed a three-month pause due to tighter sanctions on the Latin American country, one of the founding members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The renewal of shipments comes despite increased tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said last month that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro "will not escape justice" after the U.S. government increased its award for his arrest from $25 million to $50 million, accusing Venezuela's president of running drugs.
This week, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the military to use deadly force to strike a small vessel thought to be controlled by Venezuelan drug runners, potentially violating international laws because of the lack of declared combat.
Secondary sources reporting to OPEC economists put Venezuelan crude oil production at about 920,000 BBL/d during the second quarter, besting the average of 867,000 BBL/d for last year. Citing vessel-tracking data, the Reuters news service reported early this week that most of Venezuela's crude oil exports go to China.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Of all the global producers of crude oil, only a handful produce a heavier slate. Brazil churns out about 150,000 barrels per day (BBL/d) of the heavy Marlim grade, while Western Canadian Select (WCS) runs at around 2 million BBL/d.
Much of the U.S. refining sector is tooled to run heavier grades of crude, rather than the light, sweet oil found in U.S. shale basins. The Whiting Refinery in Indiana, operated by BP plc (London, England), runs mostly WCS to the tune of 430,000 BBL/d, making it one of the largest refineries in the U.S.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Plant Database can learn more about the Whiting Refinery in a detailed plant profile.
Hobbled by sanctions and crumbling infrastructure, Venezuela produces the heavy Merey 16 grade, though the lack of diluent makes it difficult to move it through export corridors.
Nevertheless, U.S. federal data show more Venezuelan barrels are showing up in the U.S. market. The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the data arm of the Energy Department, showed U.S. refiners took an average of 74,000 BBL/d from Venezuela during the seven-day period ending August 22, up from zero from the same time last year.
That puts Venezuela ahead of Ecuador, which produces the heavy Oriente grade. Ecuador delivered 44,000 BBL/d during the EIA's reporting period in August, down about 55% from the same time last year.
Ecuador's oil output is recovering from July outages on the Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP) and Sistema de Oleoductos Transecuatoriano (SOTE) pipelines, which had been offline for more than 20 days due to severe weather and erosion in the Loco River.
River erosion has impacted Ecuador's midstream assets for years. The country's pipelines travel near rivers, which during the rainy season can face erosion, threatening assets nearby.
The revival of Venezuelan barrels follows the July issuance of limited approval for offtakes of petroleum products from Venezuela offered by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Contral (OFAC). The renewal followed a three-month pause due to tighter sanctions on the Latin American country, one of the founding members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The renewal of shipments comes despite increased tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said last month that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro "will not escape justice" after the U.S. government increased its award for his arrest from $25 million to $50 million, accusing Venezuela's president of running drugs.
This week, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the military to use deadly force to strike a small vessel thought to be controlled by Venezuelan drug runners, potentially violating international laws because of the lack of declared combat.
Secondary sources reporting to OPEC economists put Venezuelan crude oil production at about 920,000 BBL/d during the second quarter, besting the average of 867,000 BBL/d for last year. Citing vessel-tracking data, the Reuters news service reported early this week that most of Venezuela's crude oil exports go to China.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
