First US naphtha cargo for Venezuela arrives under oil supply deal

PDVSA, which typically imports some 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of naphtha and light crude to dilute its heaviest crude output, had not received any naphtha cargoes since late December, the documents showed.

The last cargo was supplied last year by PDVSA's main joint venture partner, US Chevron, under US authorisation. Washington's strict blockade of all sanctioned vessels going in and out of the country's waters has stopped many suppliers, including Russia, from sending cargoes to Venezuela.

Last week, Venezuela began reversing oil output cuts it was forced to do in early January due to the blockade, but the reversal has not progressed much due to lack of diluents and a slow drain of its mounting crude inventories, industry sources said.

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Julia Symmes-Cobb and David Gregorio)