Tanker Arrives in Venezuelan Waters to Discharge Iranian Crude – Document, Data by Reuters

A tanker carrying approximately 1 million barrels of Iranian heavy crude has recently arrived in Venezuelan waters for delivery to the nation’s largest refinery, as reported in a shipping document and supported by vessel tracking data.

Iran and Venezuela have enhanced a swap agreement established last year, which now includes the supply of Iranian heavy crude to Venezuela’s El Palito refinery and Paraguana Refining Center (CRP). This initiative aims to rejuvenate the deteriorating facilities.

Venezuela is in urgent need of increasing fuel production to prevent another crisis similar to the gasoline and diesel shortages experienced in recent years, which caused long lines of vehicles at fuel stations.

The Iran-flagged Suezmax tanker Silvia I, owned and operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company, arrived on Sunday at an anchorage area near Venezuela’s Amuay port, which has a capacity of 645,000 barrels per day, according to shipping documents.

Earlier, the vessel was spotted in satellite imagery near Venezuela’s largest port, the Jose terminal, as reported by monitoring services.

The tanker set sail in early April from Khor Fakkan, in the Gulf of Oman, and turned off its transponder while navigating near the Cape of Good Hope on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.