HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. imports of crude oil from Venezuela averaged 222,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the first 11 months of 2024, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data, making it the fourth largest crude supplier to the United States.

While Venezuela's oil accounted for only 3.5% of total U.S. crude imports in November, it was about 13% of crude oil imported by U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, according to the EIA.

About 90% of all crude from Venezuela last year headed to the U.S. Gulf Coast, and the remaining 10% went to the East Coast, the data showed.

Refiner Valero Energy ( VLO ) was the top buyer of Venezuelan crude in the United States in the period, accounting for 44% of the total, followed by oil major Chevron ( CVX ) with 22%. PBF Energy ( PBF ) bought about 14% of the crude.

Company Volume (in barrels

per day)

Valero Marketing & Supply 95,189

Chevron USA 47,228

Paulsboro Refining 30,509

Phillips 66 23,596

Repsol Trading USA 10,323

Houston Refining 7,398

Exxon Mobil Oil 2,970

TOTAL 217,213

(Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston)