HOUSTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - At least three vessels that

oil major Chevron ( CVX ) had used to transport Venezuelan crude

to the U.S. were navigating toward the South American country's

waters on Thursday, with exports expected to resume later this

month following a new U.S. license, according to shipping data

and sources.

The U.S. Treasury Department late last month authorized

Chevron ( CVX ) to operate in the sanctioned OPEC nation again, export

its oil and do swaps with state company PDVSA through a

restricted license banning any payments to Venezuela's

government.

Chevron ( CVX ) Chief Executive Mike Wirth last week said a small

volume of exports from the country would resume later in August.

The oil producer is now in negotiations with PDVSA to receive

the first cargoes and reactivate a supply agreement with

U.S.-based Valero Energy ( VLO ).

Chevron ( CVX )-chartered tankers MediterraneanVoyager and Canopus

Voyager were approaching the Caribbean island of Aruba, north of

Venezuela's western coast on Thursday, vessel monitoring data by

LSEG showed. A third ship, Sea Jaguar, was navigating from

Europe with Aruba also its initial destination.

Chevron ( CVX ) and PDVSA did not immediately reply to requests for

comment.

Venezuela's oil exports fell to 727,000 barrels per day

last month as PDVSA's joint venture partners, including Chevron ( CVX )

and a handful of European companies, awaited U.S. authorizations

to resume operations.