US completes first Venezuelan oil sales valued at $500 million, US official says

View of the refinery El Palito in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo state, Venezuela, Jan. 11, 2026. (AFP)
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Updated 14 January 2026
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US completes first Venezuelan oil sales valued at $500 million, US official says

  • Additional sales expected in ​coming days and weeks
  • Main account located in Qatar for neutral fund movement

WASHINGTON: The US has ‌completed the first ‌sales of ‌Venezuelan ⁠oil ​that ‌are part of a $2 billion deal reached earlier this month between Caracas and Washington, a US official told Reuters on Wednesday.
Additional sales are expected ⁠in the coming days and ‌weeks, the official added.
Revenue from ‍the initial ‍oil sales — valued around $500 million — ‍is being held in bank accounts controlled by the US government, according to an administration ​official, citing an order issued on Friday.
The main account is ⁠located in Qatar, according to an industry source familiar with the plan, who said the country represented a neutral venue where funds can move with US approval and without risk of seizure. Semafor first reported that the sales ‌had been completed.