Overview
- PDVSA acknowledged a weekend breach and said it was confined to administrative systems, asserting operational continuity and fulfillment of export commitments.
- An internal memo instructed staff to disconnect from networks and power down computers, and sources said systems managing the main crude terminal were still offline on Monday.
- Industry and company sources reported suspended loading instructions and no cargo deliveries, indicating a broader impact than PDVSA’s public statements.
- Vessel-tracking data showed a Russian naphtha tanker and at least four VLCCs turned away from Venezuela, with additional cargoes stuck offshore and some ships sailing in dark mode.
- The incident followed a U.S. Coast Guard seizure of a VLCC carrying Venezuelan crude, and PDVSA publicly blamed the United States and domestic collaborators for the cyberattack.