Venezuela Maintains Position as Second-Largest US Oil Supplier for Fifth Consecutive Week Despite Volume Decline

The sustained ranking represents a significant milestone for Venezuelan oil exports. EIA weekly data going back to 2010 shows Venezuela had not previously maintained the second supplier position for more than two consecutive weeks. The last time the country achieved that ranking was in September 2015.

Through the first 20 weeks of 2026, Venezuelan sales to the US market averaged 309,000 barrels per day, representing a 51 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports reached 43.2 million barrels, equivalent to 82 percent of the total volume Venezuela shipped to the United States during all of 2025. The four-week moving average, which smooths short-term volatility, climbed to 529,000 barrels per day, marking a five percent weekly increase and the highest level since the week ending January 25, 2019.

The surge in Venezuelan crude shipments coincides with the easing of sanctions on the country’s petroleum sector and supply disruptions affecting traditional Middle Eastern producers. Saudi Arabia, which historically occupied the second supplier position, recorded zero exports to the United States during the reporting week. According to EIA data, such an occurrence has only happened twice since 2010.

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have constrained flows from Gulf producers, creating market space for Venezuelan barrels. The geopolitical shift has allowed Venezuela to capture supply share that would typically flow from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern exporters to US refineries.

The EIA notes that weekly figures remain preliminary, with consolidated monthly reports published with a two-month lag. Despite the provisional nature of the data, the weekly reports serve as the primary public source for tracking Venezuelan crude movements to the United States in near real-time.