According to sources and shipping data, at least three vessels used by oil major Chevron to transport Venezuelan crude into the U.S. sailed toward the South American nation's waters Thursday. Exports are expected to resume in the coming months following the issuance of a new U.S. licence.

Last month, the U.S. Treasury Department authorized Chevron's return to Venezuela. The company was given a limited license that prohibited any payments to Venezuelan government.

Last week, Mike Wirth, the chief executive of Chevron, said that a limited volume of exports would resume in August. The oil company is currently in talks with PDVSA for the first cargoes, and has reactivated a supply contract with Valero Energy based in the United States.

LSEG vessel monitoring data showed that the Chevron chartered tankers MediterraneanVoyager, and Canopus Voyager, were approaching Aruba in the Caribbean, just north of Venezuela's west coast, on Thursday. Sea Jaguar was also the initial destination of a third vessel, which was sailing from Europe.

Chevron and PDVSA didn't immediately respond to requests for comments.

Venezuelan oil exports dropped to 727,000 barrels a day last month, as PDVSA joint venture partners including Chevron, and a few European companies awaited U.S. approvals to resume their operations.

(source: Reuters)