Cyberattack disrupts PDVSA export systems despite official denial

Petróleos de Venezuela, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company known as PDVSA, was struck by a cyberattack over the weekend that disrupted systems tied to crude export operations, even as the company publicly denied any operational impact. The incident occurred early Saturday and prompted internal directives that curtailed network access across the organization.

In a statement issued Monday, PDVSA said the attack was contained to administrative systems and did not affect operational areas. The company asserted that secure protocols kept domestic fuel supply and export commitments running without interruption.

“Thanks to the expertise of PDVSA’s human talent, the operational areas were not affected in any way, with the attack being limited to its administrative system,” the company said. It added that operational continuity had been maintained and that regular activities in supplying the domestic market and fulfilling export obligations continued.

Internal actions taken in response to the incident indicated broader disruption. Operational and administrative staff were instructed to disconnect from the network and shut down computers, a measure consistent with incident containment procedures. Systems on PDVSA’s network that manage the country’s main crude terminal remained offline on Monday, halting cargo deliveries as recovery efforts continued.

The cyberattack unfolded amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States. Last week, U.S. authorities seized a sanctioned oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude, marking the first such seizure since the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on PDVSA in January 2019.

PDVSA blamed the United States and domestic conspirators for orchestrating the attack, describing it as an effort to destabilize the country. The company said the incident was part of a strategy to seize Venezuelan oil through force and piracy, and rejected what it characterized as foreign interference aimed at undermining sovereign energy development.

Venezuela ranks among the world’s major oil-producing nations and is a leading global exporter. PDVSA oversees the country’s oil production, refining, and exports, as well as the exploration and production of natural gas.