Aug 15 (Reuters) - The first two cargoes of Venezuelan

oil exported by energy major Chevron ( CVX ) after it received a

fresh U.S. authorization to operate in the country last month

have set sail for the United States, vessel monitoring data

showed on Friday.

The U.S. Treasury Department granted Chevron ( CVX ) a new license

in late July allowing it to operate in the sanctioned South

American country and export its oil, a policy shift from more

strict rules the Trump administration had imposed earlier this

year.

The Chevron ( CVX )-chartered tankers MediterraneanVoyager and

Canopus Voyager departed from Venezuelan waters on Friday

carrying cargoes of Hamaca and Boscan heavy crudes to U.S.

refineries, according to LSEG data and exports records from

state company PDVSA.

One of the vessels was heading to the U.S. West Coast,

while the other was navigating to Port Arthur, Texas, with

estimated date of arrival next week, the data showed.

Chevron ( CVX ) is separately negotiating the reactivation of a

supply agreement

with Valero Energy ( VLO ) that could give the U.S. refiner

a portion of Chevron's ( CVX ) entitled cargoes of Venezuelan crudes,

which are popular among U.S. Gulf refiners, sources have said.

Chevron ( CVX ) has said it conducts its business globally in

compliance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as the

U.S. sanctions frameworks. The company's chief executive, Mike

Wirth, earlier this month said exports from Venezuela would

resume

in small volumes.

Chevron ( CVX ) exported some 252,000 barrels per day (bpd) of

Venezuelan oil to the U.S. in the first quarter, about 29% of

the OPEC country's total.