On Monday, two sources familiar with the matter said that Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) would offload crude oil from the Nabarima floating oil facility via ship-to-ship (STS) transfer.
The transfer will be on the back of environmental concerns as the idled Nabarima was shown to tilt on its side, which increased concerns over a possible oil spill. One source said that the vessel, laden with 1.3 million barrels of crude, was leaning to one side to facilitate repairs.
However, according to an environmental group from neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, it received images on Monday that Nabarima’s tilt had been corrected and the vessel was floating upright.
It was not immediately clear how the STS transfer would take place. Refinitiv Eikon tracking data showed that there were at least two tugboats frequently used for the operations near the facility on Monday. One source said that a tanker seen on its way close to the facility, which would be involved in the operation, likely with another tanker.
PDVSA and Eni, who both hold 74% and 26% stakes in the facility, did not comment.
Nabarima is part of PDVSA and Eni’s joint venture (JV) Petrosucre which had suspended production immediately after the US sanctioned PDVSA in January 2019. It is located in the Paria Gulf off Venezuela’s eastern coast.
