00:00Venezuela is facing a growing oil bottleneck as U.S. sanctions and tanker
00:21seizures disrupt exports, leaving millions of barrels stranded offshore and
00:26raising fears of a deeper energy and geopolitical crisis. According to Reuters,
00:32Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA is now loading crude and fuel oil onto
00:39tankers only to keep them anchored in Venezuelan waters. With limited onshore
00:45capacity, these ships have effectively become floating storage units as fears
00:50of U.S. interception keep them from sailing. Venezuela faces oil bottleneck
00:56as U.S. sanctions strand tankers at sea. The crisis intensified after President
01:02Donald Trump announced a naval oil blockade targeting sanctioned vessels. Shipowners
01:08have grown increasingly wary following U.S. moves to intercept and seize tankers,
01:14sending a chilling signal across global shipping markets. Trump's naval blockade
01:20spooks shipowners as U.S. targets Venezuelan oil flow. More than a dozen fully loaded
01:26tankers are now stuck offshore. PDVSA pumping around 1.1 million barrels per day is rapidly
01:35running out of space, especially at the key Jose terminal, the heart of Venezuela's oil
01:41exports. The crunch is sharpest in eastern Venezuela. In the West, inventories are more
01:47stable thanks to Chevron, which continues exporting crude from joint ventures. But
01:53Chevron accounts for only about a quarter of Orinoco belt. The rest, once bound for China,
01:59is now largely stranded. Over a dozen fully loaded tankers stuck as storage at Jose terminal fills up.
02:07The U.S. Coast Guard has already intercepted two fully loaded Venezuelan tankers. With more seizures
02:14expected, buyers are demanding steeper discounts or staying away entirely. China, Venezuela's biggest
02:21crude buyer, is closely watching developments. U.S. interceptions raise buyer fears as China watches
02:29Venezuelan supply risk. President Maduro insists exports will continue. In a televised address,
02:36he vowed that Chevron shipments would go ahead no matter what, even as Caracas accuses Washington
02:43of economic warfare. Maduro vows oil exports will continue, despite U.S. sanctions and blockade.
02:51Markets are reacting cautiously. Oil prices paused after a five-day rally fueled by concerns that
02:59Venezuelan supply disruptions could tighten global markets. Brent crude hovered near $62 a barrel,
03:06while U.S. WTI edged higher, both up about six percent since mid-December. Oil prices hold near
03:14recent highs as markets price in Venezuelan risk. With tankers stuck, filling fast, and warships moving
03:22into position, Venezuela's oil industry is under unprecedented strain. As sanctions tighten and
03:29military pressure builds, the question is no longer just about oil, but how far this confrontation at
03:35sea might go. Stakes rise as oil, sanctions, and military pressure collide off Venezuela's coast.
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