VENEECONOMIST
OFAC GENERAL LICENSESupersededEnergy

GL 46

GL 46 — Venezuelan Oil Trade by Established US Companies

Issued

Jan 29, 2026

Expiration

No expiration

Authorized entity

Compañías estadounidenses establecidas en sector energía VE

Type

General

Scope

Authorizes U.S. companies with established presence in Venezuela to engage in extraction, processing, transportation and export of Venezuelan crude and refined products. Marks the January 2026 structural shift toward a permissive regime. Superseded by GL 46B in March 2026.

Authorized activities

  • ·Operación de empresas mixtas con PDVSA
  • ·Exportación de crudo y productos refinados a EE.UU.
  • ·Lifting agreements con PDVSA

Prohibited activities

  • ·Pagos directos a entidades sancionadas individualmente designadas

VENE · ECONOMIST Analysis

Fact
GL 46 emitida 29 de enero de 2026 amplió el régimen Chevron-only (GL 41) a todas las compañías estadounidenses con presencia previa, en línea con la política de re-engagement Trump-Maduro.
Implication
El cap operacional de Chevron (~250K bpd) deja de ser el techo del flujo legal VE→US. ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil legacy claims y servicers retoman conversaciones de lifting.
Indicator to monitor
Anuncios de lifting agreements bajo GL 46/46B. Datos mensuales EIA de imports VE→Gulf Coast.

Official source

This summary does not constitute legal advice. The final determination of scope and applicability of any OFAC license requires consultation with qualified legal counsel and review of the official text published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. VENE · ECONOMIST maintains this page as editorial reference for institutional investors.

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FURTHER READING

04
VE PULSE · 25-AUG-2026

Money paid up front for a Venezuelan home stops passing through the builder's hands

Until now the developer took the buyer's down payment and put it to work. The text passed on Friday routes it into a trust that releases funds only against construction progress certified by an independent engineer.

SECTOR BRIEF · VE-ENERGY-UPSTREAM

Venezuela Upstream July 2026: LOH Regulation drops PDVSA (Gaceta 7,052), Repsol signs Horcón MoU, OFAC amends GL 46C-54A, Brent normalizes to $81

The first comprehensive Hydrocarbons Law regulation since 1943 opens upstream to privates without a mandatory joint venture; the VE Score eases from 94 to 84 on Brent's correction (May $104 → July $81), not regulatory deterioration.

ANÁLISIS · ENERGÍA · SANCIONES Y ELEGIBILIDAD

OFAC eligibility in Venezuela: who lends the permit to sign with PDVSA

A Canadian oil company set out on August 24 the six steps it took to enter Venezuelan crude: a U.S. subsidiary, registration with the investment agency, exclusivities, data packages and a field visit. Five it took alone. For the sixth it states that it partners "with entities benefiting from the updated U.S. sanctions regime."

VE PULSE · 21-AUG-2026

Anyone signing a contract in Venezuela does not yet know which Supreme Tribunal will hear it

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