UNITED STATES BEGINS REFINING VENEZUELAN CRUDE OIL

The Minerva Gloria ship has docked at a terminal in the Mississippi Sound, not far from the United States’ large oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico.

The vessel, measuring 820 feet (250 meters) in length, is carrying valuable cargo from Venezuela that, just six months ago, could not have been delivered to the United States — about 400,000 barrels of crude oil.

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. Under former president Nicolás Maduro, oil exports declined sharply due to lack of investment. Then U.S. sanctions were imposed, restricting the import of oil from the South American country.

But U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to make use of that oil after the U.S. military captured Maduro in a surprise night operation in January.

Now oil is flowing again. In March, Venezuela’s monthly crude exports exceeded one million barrels per day for the first time since September.