The tanker, the Hem Maersk, is the first in a line of up to seven or more supertankers that will be chartered by PdVSA to help increase exports and convince major shipping agencies that dock and terminal facilities are completely safe, Ruben Rodriguez told Dow Jones Newswires by telephone from Jose.
The loading of another two tankers with a capacity of one million barrels of Mesa crude each are scheduled for Feb. 22 to Feb. 24, and Feb. 24 to Feb. 26, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez couldn't provide the final destination of the three tankers.
An additional four or more tankers are set to be chartered in the coming weeks by PdVSA, Rodriguez added. At the terminal, 3.5 million barrels of crude and products have been shipped during the first 12 days of February as exports and production at the oil behemoth are recovering slowly after a strike started Dec. 2 last year. Production currently stands at around 40% of pre-strike levels of three million barrels per day.
Foreign shipping agencies have been reluctant to use Venezuelan ports after military personnel and untrained crew took control of the operations after the strike started. [End]