Following a 7 percent drop in March, Venezuelan crude oil exports to the United States in April climbed 146,000 bpd (14 percent) compared to the previous month to 1.18 million bpd, according to the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the US Department of Energy.
 
Oil shipments in April climbed 11,000 bpd (0.9 percent) compared to the same month in 2006, when oil sales averaged 1.17 million bpd.

In January-April 2006, Venezuelan oil exports to the US averaged 1.19 million bpd of crude oil, but in the same period this year, the figure was down 1.07 million bpd, a drop of 120,000 bpd (10 percent).

Overall, the United States imported 10.18 million bpd of crude oil in April, 167,000 bpd down compared to March, EIA said.

The sales of Venezuelan oil byproducts to the US in April went down, from 249,000 bpd to 230,000 bpd (an 8.2 percent drop), for an accumulated yearly average of 241,000 bpd versus 295,000 bpd in the same period in 2006.