MOSCOW: Russia kept
fuel oil
exports to
the United States
close to its record-highs in the first six months of this year, as
Washington
looks to replace the heavy Venezuelan barrels it stopped buying a year ago, traders said and data showed.
The US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil last year in an effort to squeeze out
President Nicolas Maduro
. While facing a drastic fall in revenues, Caracas re-directed some flows and Maduro kept his position.