Venezuela’s Oil Heartland Is Shutting Wells as US Pressure Chokes Exports

Key Points Orinoco output was reported at 498,131 bpd on December 29, down 25% in two weeks, as PDVSA shut wells amid tight storage. Backlogs at the José export hub and in residual fuels are forcing stopgap measures and cutting production. New US sanctions and maritime enforcement are raising the cost—and the risk—of moving Venezuelan […]