Frequently Asked Questions

GL 50A authorizes, subject to its conditions and exclusions, transactions prohibited by the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations (VSR) that are related to oil or gas sector operations in Venezuela of the entities listed in the Annex to GL 50A and their subsidiaries. Transactions authorized by Venezuela… Read more

For the purposes of GL 47, diluent means a light hydrocarbon liquid, such as natural gas condensate, naphtha, or light crude oil, that is added to heavy crude oil or bitumen to reduce its viscosity and density in order to transport, export, store, or process more …

Entities not identified in the Annex to GL 50A can rely on other authorizations to support the development of oil or gas projects in Venezuela. For example, such companies can enter into contingent contracts for new investments in the Venezuela oil or gas sectors pursuant to GL 49 and submit a… Read more

GL 48 authorizes the provision of goods, technology, software, or services from the United States or by a U.S. person for the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas in Venezuela. Examples of authorized transactions under GL 48 include the provision of: insurance services for oil and… Read more

In accordance with the United States' support and solidarity for the Cuban people, OFAC would implement a favorable licensing policy toward specific license applications seeking authorization for the resale of Venezuelan-origin oil for use in Cuba. To qualify for this favorable licensing policy,… Read more

GL 46B authorizes activities that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the lifting (which refers to the physical loading and removal of oil from a terminal, storage facility, or production site for delivery to a buyer), exportation, reexportation, sale, resale, supply, storage, marketing,… Read more

Yes. Consistent with the term "Venezuelan oil" as defined in section 5(a) of Executive Order 14245 , "Imposing Tariffs on Countries Importing Venezuelan Oil," the term "Venezuelan-origin oil" means crude oil or petroleum products extracted, refined, or exported from Venezuela, regardless of the… Read more

If a U.S. person entered into a long-term credit facility or loan agreement prior to August 25, 2017, drawdowns and disbursements with repayment terms of 90 days or less (for PdVSA) or 30 days or less (for the rest of the Government of Venezuela) are not prohibited. Drawdowns and disbursements… Read more

Executive Order 13857 of January 25, 2019 "Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency with Respect to Venezuela" broadens the definition of the term "Government of Venezuela" to include persons that have acted, or have purported to act, on behalf of the Government of Venezuela,… Read more

General License (GL) 9H authorizes U.S. persons to engage in all transactions prohibited by subsection 1(a)(iii) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13808 or by E.O. 13850 , each as amended by E.O. 13857 , or by E.O. 13884 , as collectively incorporated into the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part… Read more