Rust, power cuts and delays: Inside Venezuela’s oil export crisis

Venezuela may be pumping more crude and attracting renewed interest from global oil traders, but its ageing ports are emerging as a major obstacle to the country’s export ambitions.

Tankers are reportedly waiting for as long as 30 days to load Venezuelan crude as equipment failures, power outages, storage constraints and oil-quality issues slow operations at key terminals, according to a Reuters report.

The congestion is effectively limiting how much oil Venezuela can send overseas, even as Washington-backed efforts seek to revive the country’s energy sector.

Rising output, but exports remain stuck

Despite an increase in crude production and strong international demand, Venezuela's oil exports have struggled to move beyond about 1.25 million barrels per day in recent months, Reuters reported, citing vessel-tracking data.

That marks a sharp contrast with Venezuela's oil heyday more than two decades ago, when production exceeded 3 million barrels per day and the country's export terminals had the capacity to handle more than 2.5 million barrels daily.

Now, delays at ports are forcing tankers to remain in Venezuelan waters far longer than planned. One source familiar with PDVSA's operations told Reuters that crude transfers from storage tanks to vessels have become painfully slow, keeping ships tied up at docks beyond their scheduled loading windows.

Jose port becomes the centre of the problem

The pressure is particularly intense around the Jose terminal on Venezuela's northeastern coast, which handles roughly 70% of the country's oil exports, according to Reuters.

Shipping reports reviewed by Reuters pointed to repeated disruptions caused by equipment breakdowns, electricity outages and problems with crude quality during loading and unloading operations.

The result has been a growing queue of tankers waiting offshore, while disputes have also emerged over demurrage charges, cargo quality and contamination, the report said.

Even long-standing partners such as Chevron are reportedly exploring ways to improve access to loading facilities, including the possibility of using ports that have traditionally been reserved for domestic shipping. Chevron did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.

A $100 billion oil revival faces an infrastructure gap

The port congestion comes at a sensitive moment for Venezuela's oil industry.

The country has been seeking to expand exports under agreements involving major trading houses, including Vitol and Trafigura. Reuters reported that these traders have shipped more than 140 million barrels of Venezuelan crude and fuel so far this year, with cargoes heading mainly to the United States while some shipments have returned to markets including Europe and India.

At the same time, Washington is pursuing a broader energy reconstruction strategy estimated at $100 billion, aimed largely at reviving Venezuela's oil production.

But Reuters reported that repairs to the infrastructure needed to move and process that oil — including export terminals and refineries — have not received the same level of priority.

PDVSA Vice President Jovanny Martinez acknowledged the challenges during an industry event in Houston, saying Venezuela's oil infrastructure was in place but required greater reliability and investment, according to Reuters.

Rusting tankers and limited dock space

The problem is not simply one of rising demand.

Years of sanctions, underinvestment and operational decline have left parts of Venezuela's port network clogged with ageing vessels and inactive infrastructure. Reuters reported that some sanctioned or blacklisted tankers remain at Venezuelan facilities, occupying valuable berth space.

At the Guaraguao terminal in Puerto La Cruz, for example, only two of seven docks were reportedly fully operational in mid-August, according to a worker cited by Reuters.

With available dock space increasingly scarce, companies are turning to alternative terminals and ship-to-ship transfer areas. But these arrangements can bring their own complications, including oil leaks and contamination that create further delays and costs, Reuters reported.

Demurrage disputes add to pressure on PDVSA

The congestion is also creating a financial headache for PDVSA.

Tankers that remain waiting beyond their agreed loading periods can generate demurrage charges, potentially costing thousands of dollars for each additional day of delay. Reuters reported that PDVSA has increasingly faced such claims and has agreed in some cases to settle them through crude rather than cash.

New commercial arrangements are also adding complexity. According to Reuters, PDVSA is requiring new customers to pay for cargoes upon delivery without extending credit, making it more difficult to resolve disputes involving delays, quality concerns or price discounts.

Competition for Venezuela's oil infrastructure could intensify

Pressure on the country's ports could grow further as dozens of oil contracts move to new terms under Venezuela's sweeping energy reform, which took effect in late July, Reuters reported.

More companies are expected to market their own shares of Venezuelan crude independently, increasing demand for access to terminals and export facilities.

For now, however, PDVSA is expected to retain control over its terminals and continue managing cargo schedules, according to Reuters.

That leaves Venezuela facing a difficult reality: the country may have more oil to sell, but its ageing infrastructure is struggling to get it onto ships.

Unless investment reaches the country's ports, storage systems and refineries alongside new production projects, Venezuela's attempt to restore itself as a major oil exporter could remain constrained not by what lies beneath the ground, but by what happens at the dock.