Mercuria has asked the US government for permission to buy out a $ 1.5bn loan that Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA took out with Russia ’s debt . it raised concerns in Washington last year after putting up a stake in its petroleum - based refining subsidiary , Citgo , as collateral against a portion of the loan . Mercuria has proposed putting up the option to buy out the loan and syndicate it to other investors , according to investors familiar with the plan .
Mercuria has asked the US government for permission to buy out a $1.5bn loan that Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA took out with Russia’s Rosneft. PDVSA raised concerns in Washington last year after putting up a stake in its US-based refining subsidiary, Citgo, as collateral against a portion of the loan. Mercuria has proposed putting up the money to buy out the loan and syndicate it to other investors, according to people familiar with the plan.