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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 103651-103652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29991]

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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 5Q and 8O

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 (GL) issued pursuant 
to the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations: GL 5Q and GL 8O, each of which 
was previously made available on OFAC's website.

DATES: GL 5Q was issued on November 7, 2024. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
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 Compliance, 202-622-2490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

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

Background

    On November 7, 2024, OFAC issued GL 5Q and GL 8O to authorize 
certain transactions otherwise prohibited by the Venezuela Sanctions 
Regulations (VSR), 31 CFR part 591. Each GL was made available on 
OFAC's website (https://ofac.treasury.gov) when it was issued. GL 5Q 
supersedes GL 5P, which was issued on August 12, 2024. GL 8O supersedes 
GL 8N, which was issued on May 10, 2024. The text of these GLs is 
provided below.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Venezuela Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 591

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 5Q

Authorizing Certain Transactions Related to the Petr[oacute]leos de 
Venezuela, S.A. 2020 8.5 Percent Bond on or After March 7, 2025

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, 
on or after March 7, 2025, all transactions related to, the 
provision of financing for, and other dealings in the 
Petr[oacute]leos de Venezuela, S.A. 2020 8.5 Percent Bond that would 
be prohibited by subsection l(a)(iii) of Executive Order (E.O.) 
13835 of May 21, 2018, as amended by E.O. 13857 of January 25, 2019, 
and incorporated into the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR 
part 591 (the VSR), are authorized.
    (b) This general license does not authorize any transactions or 
activities otherwise prohibited by the VSR, or any other part of 31 
CFR chapter V.
    (c) Effective November 7, 2024, General License No. 5P, dated 
August 12, 2024, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this 
General License No. 5Q.

Lisa M. Palluconi,
Acting Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: November 7, 2024.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Venezuela Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 591

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 8O

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 9, 2025, 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

[[Page 103652]]

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 9, 
2025, 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 7, 2024, General License No. 8N, dated 
May 10, 2024, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this 
General License No. 8O.

Lisa M. Palluconi,
Acting Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: November 7, 2024.

Lisa M. Palluconi,
Acting Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
[FR Doc. 2024-29991 Filed 12-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AL-P
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