(Reuters) – Venezuela’s oil exports rose last month, boosted by larger sales to customers aiming to take as many cargoes as possible before a U.S. deadline to wind-down trade with the sanctioned nation, according to data from state-run PDVSA and Refinitiv Eikon.

Washington gave PDVSA’s customers deadlines ranging between October and November for ending exemptions to U.S. sanctions allowing some firms still to receive Venezuelan oil, so a handful of clients in September began scheduling their last cargoes to depart from the OPEC-member nation.

A total of 24 cargoes departed from PDVSA’s ports in September carrying some 690,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and fuel for exports, the highest level registered since April, according to the documents and data.

Over 40% of the shipments set sail to India, followed by exports to other destinations in Asia and the Middle East. Exports to Europe remained stable around 60,000 bpd.

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