[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2237-2239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00515]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Foreign Assets Control

31 CFR Part 591


Publication of Venezuela Sanctions Regulations Web General 
Licenses 8K and 41

AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION: Publication of web general licenses.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets 
Control (OFAC) is publishing two general licenses (GLs) issued pursuant 
to the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations: GLs 8K and 41, each of which 
was previously made available on OFAC's website.

DATES: GLs 8K and 41 were issued on November 26, 2022. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY

[[Page 2238]]

INFORMATION for additional relevant dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: OFAC: Assistant Director for 
Licensing, 202-622-2480; Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs, 
202-622-4855; or Assistant Director for Sanctions Compliance & 
Evaluation, 202-622-2490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

    This document and additional information concerning OFAC are 
available on OFAC's website: www.treas.gov/ofac.

Background

    On November 26, 2022, OFAC issued GLs 8K and 41 to authorize 
certain transactions otherwise prohibited by the Venezuela Sanctions 
Regulations, 31 CFR part 591. Each GL was made available on OFAC's 
website (www.treas.gov/ofac) when it was issued. GL 8K was issued on 
November 26, 2022 and has an expiration date of May 26, 2023. GL 41 was 
issued on November 26, 2022 and automatically renews on the first day 
of each month and is valid for a period of six months from the 
effective date of GL 41 or the date of any subsequent renewal of GL 41, 
whichever is later. The text of these GLs is provided below.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Venezuela Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 591

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 8K

Authorizing Transactions Involving Petr[oacute]leos de Venezuela, S.A. 
(PdVSA) Necessary for the Limited Maintenance of Essential Operations 
in Venezuela or the Wind Down of Operations in Venezuela for Certain 
Entities

    (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this general 
license, all transactions and activities prohibited by Executive Order 
(E.O.) 13850 of November 1, 2018, as amended by E.O. 13857 of January 
25, 2019, or E.O. 13884 of August 5, 2019, each as incorporated into 
the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 591 (the VSR), that 
are ordinarily incident and necessary to the limited maintenance of 
essential operations, contracts, or other agreements, that: (i) are for 
safety or the preservation of assets in Venezuela; (ii) involve PdVSA 
or any entity in which PdVSA owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent 
or greater interest; and (iii) were in effect prior to July 26, 2019, 
are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, May 26, 2023, 
for the following entities and their subsidiaries (collectively, the 
``Covered Entities''):

     Halliburton
     Schlumberger Limited
     Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
     Weatherford International, Public Limited Company

    Note to paragraph (a): Transactions and activities necessary for 
safety or the preservation of assets in Venezuela that are 
authorized by paragraph (a) of this general license include: 
transactions and activities necessary to ensure the safety of 
personnel, or the integrity of operations and assets in Venezuela; 
participation in shareholder and board of directors meetings; making 
payments on third-party invoices for transactions and activities 
authorized by paragraph (a) of this general license, or incurred 
prior to April 21, 2020, provided such activity was authorized at 
the time it occurred; payment of local taxes and purchase of utility 
services in Venezuela; and payment of salaries for employees and 
contractors in Venezuela.
    (b) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this general license, 
all transactions and activities prohibited by E.O. 13850, as amended, 
or E.O. 13884, each as incorporated into the VSR, that are ordinarily 
incident and necessary to the wind down of operations, contracts, or 
other agreements in Venezuela involving PdVSA or any entity in which 
PdVSA owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, 
and that were in effect prior to July 26, 2019, are authorized through 
12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, May 26, 2023, for the Covered 
Entities.
    (c) Paragraph (a) of this general license does not authorize:
    (1) The drilling, lifting, or processing of, purchase or sale of, 
or transport or shipping of any Venezuelan-origin petroleum or 
petroleum products;
    (2) The provision or receipt of insurance or reinsurance with 
respect to the transactions and activities described in paragraph 
(c)(1) of this general license;
    (3) The design, construction, installation, repair, or improvement 
of any wells or other facilities or infrastructure in Venezuela or the 
purchasing or provision of any goods or services, except as required 
for safety;
    (4) Contracting for additional personnel or services, except as 
required for safety; or
    (5) The payment of any dividend, including in kind, to PdVSA, or 
any entity in which PdVSA owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or 
greater interest.
    (d) This general license does not authorize:
    (1) Any transactions or dealings related to the exportation or 
reexportation of diluents, directly or indirectly, to Venezuela;
    (2) Any loans to, accrual of additional debt by, or subsidization 
of PdVSA, or any entity in which PdVSA owns, directly or indirectly, a 
50 percent or greater interest, including in kind, prohibited by E.O. 
13808 of August 24, 2017, as amended by E.O. 13857, and incorporated 
into the VSR; or
    (3) Any transactions or activities otherwise prohibited by the VSR, 
or any other part of 31 CFR chapter V, or any transactions or 
activities with any blocked person other than the blocked persons 
identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this general license.
    (e) Effective November 26, 2022, General License No. 8J, dated May 
27, 2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General 
License No. 8K.

Andrea M. Gacki, Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control,

    Dated: November 26, 2022.

Venezuela Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 591

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 41

Authorizing Certain Transactions Related to Chevron Corporation's Joint 
Ventures in Venezuela

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, 
all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the following 
activities for or related to the operation and management by Chevron 
Corporation or its subsidiaries (``Chevron'') of Chevron's joint 
ventures in Venezuela (collectively, the ``Chevron JVs'') involving 
Petr[oacute]leos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) or any entity in which 
PdVSA owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, 
that are prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 13850, as amended by E.O. 
13857, or E.O. 13884, each as incorporated into the Venezuela Sanctions 
Regulations, 31 CFR part 591 (the VSR), are authorized:
    (1) Production and lifting of petroleum or petroleum products 
produced by the Chevron JVs, and any related maintenance, repair, or 
servicing of the Chevron JVs;
    (2) Sale to, exportation to, or importation into the United States 
of petroleum or petroleum products produced by the Chevron JVs, 
provided that the petroleum and petroleum products produced by the 
Chevron JVs are first sold to Chevron;
    (3) Ensuring the health or safety of personnel or the integrity of 
operations or assets of the Chevron JVs in Venezuela; and
    (4) Purchase and importation into Venezuela of goods or inputs 
related to the activities described in paragraphs (a)(1)-(3) of this 
general license,

[[Page 2239]]

including diluents, condensates, petroleum, or natural gas products.
    Note 1 to paragraph (a)(4). Except as authorized pursuant to the 
Iranian Transactions Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 560, or 
otherwise exempt, U.S. persons, wherever located, remain prohibited 
from engaging in any transaction or dealing in or related to goods 
or services of Iranian origin, including the purchase or import of 
Iranian-origin diluents, condensates, petroleum, or natural gas.
    (b) This general license does not authorize:
    (1) The payment of any taxes or royalties to the Government of 
Venezuela;
    (2) The payment of any dividends, including a dividend in kind, to 
PdVSA, or any entity in which PdVSA owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 
percent or greater interest;
    (3) The sale of petroleum or petroleum products produced by or 
through the Chevron JVs for the exportation to any jurisdiction other 
than the United States;
    (4) Any transaction involving an entity located in Venezuela that 
is owned or controlled by an entity located in the Russian Federation;
    (5) Any expansion of the Chevron JVs into new fields in Venezuela 
beyond what was in place on January 28, 2019; or
    (6) Any transactions otherwise prohibited by the VSR, including 
transactions involving any person blocked pursuant to the VSR other 
than the blocked persons described in paragraph (a) of this general 
license, unless separately authorized.
    (c) This authorization automatically renews on the first day of 
each month and is valid for a period of six months from the effective 
date of General License No. 41 or the date of any subsequent renewal of 
General License No. 41, whichever is later.
    Note 2 to General License No. 41. Nothing in this general 
license relieves any person from compliance with the requirements of 
other Federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce's 
Bureau of Industry and Security.

Andrea M. Gacki, Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control,

    Dated: November 26, 2022.

Andrea M. Gacki,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
[FR Doc. 2023-00515 Filed 1-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AL-P