Due to health inspections aboard tankers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, an internal document from state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela showed at least two cargoes of Venezuelan crude have been delayed.
The delays add to a growing glut of tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude that preceded the coronavirus crisis as US sanctions spooked potential customers. PDVSA has been increasingly forced to send barrels onto floating storage, with domestic onshore oil inventories approaching capacity.
The Delta Angelica tanker is the largest shipment affected by the health inspections. With 1.9 million barrels of heavy Merey crude bound for India’s Reliance Industries, the tanker was originally scheduled to depart Venezuela’s Jose terminal between March 19-21. On Monday, it was still anchored at Jose. Refinitiv Eikon data showed it had not finished loading.
The Icaria tanker was also awaiting a health inspection related to coronavirus. For Mexico’s Schlager Business Group, the tanker was scheduled to load 1 million barrels of Merey crude between March 15-17.
