Release date: March 28, 2018 | Next release date: April 4, 2018
Venezuela's crude oil production is declining amid economic instability
Venezuela's crude oil production has been on a downward trend for two decades, but has experienced significant decreases over the past two years. Crude oil production in Venezuela fell from an annual average of 3.2 million barrels per day (b/d) in 1997 to an average of 2.4 million b/d in 2015 (Figure 1). More recently, Venezuela's crude production fell from a monthly average of 2.3 million b/d in January 2016 to 1.6 million b/d in January 2018. A combination of relatively low global crude oil prices and mismanagement of Venezuela’s oil industry has led to the accelerated decline in production. Venezuela's economy is extremely dependent on oil revenue, so the production declines are having a negative impact on the country's finances as well.
Several indicators suggest that Venezuela's crude oil production will likely continue to decline in the near future. The number of active rigs has fallen from about 70 in the first quarter of 2016 to an average of 43 in the fourth quarter of 2017 (Figure 2). In addition, recent reports indicate that financial difficulties, such as missed payments to oil service companies, a lack of working upgraders, a lack of knowledgeable managers and workers, and declines in oil industry capital expenditures, have also contributed to production declines.
The United States is the largest importer of Venezuela's crude oil, receiving an average of 618,000 b/d in 2017, or about 41% of total Venezuelan exports. China and India received approximately 386,000 b/d and 332,000 b/d, respectively, in 2017. The remaining 186,000 b/d of exports during the year went to countries including Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Cuba, Singapore, and others (Figure 3).
Venezuela produces extra-heavy crude oil in the Orincoco Oil Belt area and relies extensively on imports of lighter liquids (diluents) to blend with this crude oil to make it marketable. Financial difficulties have recently prevented the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PdVSA), from importing the necessary volumes of diluent on several occasions to sustain production and exports.
In 2017, refiners in the United States and Asia reported crude oil quality issues with imported crude oil from Venezuela, resulting in requests for discounts or discontinuation of purchases. Venezuela's crude oil exports to the United States fell from 840,000 b/d in December 2015 to 437,000 b/d in December 2017 (the latest month for which EIA import data are available). As recently as September 2017, Venezuela was the third-largest supplier of U.S. crude oil imports after Canada and Saudi Arabia, occupying a top-three spot since 2015. In December 2017, Venezuela fell behind Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Iraq based on average imported volumes of crude oil during the month.
The fall in exports to the United States is especially harmful to Venezuela's economy because U.S. refiners are among the few customers that still remit cash payments to Venezuela. Some volumes shipped to China, for example, are sent as loan repayments. In January 2018, Venezuela exported about 360,000 b/d of crude oil to China, based on tanker tracking data. Venezuela's exports to India—also a cash remitting customer—have fallen to the lowest levels in about five years. In January, only about 220,000 b/d of Venezuelan crude oil was destined for India, about 20% lower than the level in January 2017, according to crude oil shipping data. This level includes volumes sent to Essar’s Vadinar refinery in India to service debt that Venezuela owes to Russian oil company Rosneft (Rosneft co-owns the Vadinar refinery).
Although the Venezuelan government has not published any economic data in more than two years, Venezuela's National Assembly reported in mid-March that inflation was more than 6,000% between February 2017 and February 2018. The International Monetary Fund projects that inflation will reach 13,000% in 2018 and that Venezuela's economy will contract 15%, resulting in a cumulative GDP decline of nearly 50% from 2013 through the end of 2018.
Venezuela also has high levels of debt with a variety of creditors. During the last quarter of 2017, when Venezuela was late making some bond payments, the main rating agencies declared the country in selective default . Venezuela has more than $8 billion in bond payments coming due in 2018. Given the country's precarious financial situation, a general default is possible. In addition to about $64 billion worth of debt in traded bonds, Venezuela owes $26 billion to creditors and $24 billion in commercial loans, according to Torino Capital, although some estimates place Venezuelan debt as high as $150 billion.
Venezuela's crude oil production is projected to continue to fall through at least the end of 2019, reflecting that crude oil production losses are increasingly widespread and affecting joint ventures. These projections reflect that crude oil production losses are increasingly widespread and affecting joint ventures. With the reduced capital expenditures, foreign partners are limiting activities in the Venezuelan oil sector. Venezuela's economy is heavily dependent on the oil industry, and production declines result in reduced oil export revenues. Venezuela's economy contracted by nearly 9% in 2017, based on estimates from Oxford Economics.
U.S. average regular gasoline and diesel prices increase
The U.S. average regular gasoline retail price rose 5 cents from the previous week to $2.65 per gallon on March 26, 2018, up 33 cents from the same time last year. Rocky Mountain prices increased nearly nine cents to $2.53 per gallon, Gulf Coast prices increased nearly eight cents to $2.38 per gallon, West Coast and East Coast prices each increased nearly six cents to $3.27 per gallon and $2.59 per gallon, respectively, and Midwest prices increased two cents to $2.52 per gallon.
The U.S. average diesel fuel price rose nearly 4 cents to $3.01 per gallon on March 26, 2018, 48 cents higher than a year ago. Rocky Mountain prices rose nearly seven cents to $2.99 per gallon, West Coast prices increased over five cents to $3.44 per gallon, Gulf Coast and Midwest prices each increased nearly four cents to $2.82 per gallon and $2.93 per gallon, respectively, and East Coast prices increased nearly three cents to $3.04 per gallon.
Propane/propylene inventories decline
U.S. propane/propylene stocks decreased by 1.2 million barrels last week to 35.6 million barrels as of March 23, 2018, 9.7 million barrels (21.4%) lower than the five-year average inventory level for this same time of year. East Coast and Midwest inventories each decreased by 0.5 million barrels, while Gulf Coast inventories decreased by 0.2 million barrels. Rocky Mountain/West Coast inventories rose slightly, remaining virtually unchanged. Propylene non-fuel-use inventories represented 8.2% of total propane/propylene inventories.
Residential heating oil prices increase, propane prices decrease
As of March 26, 2018, residential heating oil prices averaged almost $3.10 per gallon, nearly 4 cents per gallon higher than last week and 51 cents per gallon higher than last year's price at this time. The average wholesale heating oil price for this week averaged almost $2.12 per gallon, nearly 11 cents per gallon higher than last week and 52 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.
Residential propane prices averaged $2.48 per gallon, almost one cent per gallon lower than last week but nine cents per gallon higher than a year ago. Wholesale propane prices averaged $0.88 per gallon, 1 cent per gallon higher than last week and nearly 21 cents per gallon higher than last year's price. This is the last data collection for the 2017-2018 State Heating Oil and Propane Program (SHOPP) heating season. Data collection will resume on October 1, 2018 for publication on Wednesday, October 3, 2018.
For questions about This Week in Petroleum, contact the Petroleum Markets Team at 202-586-4522.
Retail prices (dollars per gallon)
| Retail prices | Change from last | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/26/18 | Week | Year | |
| Gasoline | 2.648 | 0.050 | 0.333 |
| Diesel | 3.010 | 0.038 | 0.478 |
| Heating Oil | 3.095 | 0.036 | 0.509 |
| Propane | 2.480 | -0.007 | 0.090 |
Futures prices (dollars per gallon*)
| Futures prices | Change from last | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/23/18 | Week | Year | |
| Crude oil | 65.88 | 3.54 | 17.91 |
| Gasoline | 2.034 | 0.088 | 0.429 |
| Heating oil | 2.018 | 0.106 | 0.520 |
| *Note: Crude oil price in dollars per barrel. | |||
Stocks (million barrels)
| Stocks | Change from last | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/23/18 | Week | Year | |
| Crude oil | 429.9 | 1.6 | -104.0 |
| Gasoline | 239.6 | -3.5 | -0.1 |
| Distillate | 129.0 | -2.1 | -24.0 |
| Propane | 35.603 | -1.156 | -7.192 |