Venezuela Sent 31,000 Barrels per Day of Fuel to Cuba in July

MIAMI, United States — Venezuela sent Cuba an average of 31,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, gasoline, and jet fuel during the month of July, according to ship-tracking data and internal documents from the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) obtained by Reuters.

This supply remained steady even as Venezuela’s total oil exports fell by 10% compared to June, affected by delays in U.S. authorizations for PDVSA’s partners to operate in the sanctioned country.

In total, Venezuela exported 727,000 bpd of crude oil and refined products in July, down from 807,000 bpd in June. Ninety-five percent of those shipments went directly or indirectly to China, while the Cuban regime, a political ally of dictator Nicolás Maduro, received directly the aforementioned 31,000 bpd of energy products.

Despite the limitations faced by several companies associated with PDVSA—such as Chevron, which expects to resume limited exports this month under a new U.S. license—energy flows to the island have remained stable, according to available data.

The continuation of shipments to Cuba comes at a time when PDVSA has been adjusting its marketing and transportation strategy, affected by international sanctions, payment problems, and logistical restrictions.

According to one of the internal documents reviewed by Reuters, the José port, Venezuela’s main oil terminal, was almost completely emptied in the last week of July, leading to an increase in heavy crude and diluent inventories in the South American country.

Although the report does not specify Cuba’s destination ports or the logistical details of the shipments, the 31,000 bpd represent a key source of energy supply for the Cuban regime, at a time when the island is facing a severe electricity and fuel crisis.

The information, obtained from corporate documents and ship-tracking tools, confirms that despite the overall collapse of Venezuela’s oil exports, Cuba continues to rank among the priority recipients of crude and refined shipments — reinforcing the energy and political ties between Havana and Caracas.

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