PDVSA Announces Extension of the Early Tender Deadline and the Expiration Date for its Offers to Exchange its Outstanding 5.250% Senior Notes due 2017 and 8.50% Senior Notes due 2017 for New 8.50% Senior Secured Notes due 2020

CARACAS, Venezuela, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. ("PDVSA" or the "Company") today announced the extension of the Early Tender Deadline and the Expiration Date of the offers to exchange (the "Exchange Offers") of up to U.S.$5,325 million aggregate principal amount of PDVSA's outstanding 5.250% Senior Notes due 2017 (the "April 2017 Notes") and 8.50% Senior Notes due 2017 (the "November 2017 Notes," and together with the April 2017 Notes, the "Existing Notes") for new 8.50% Senior Secured Notes due 2020 (the "New Notes").

The Company has extended each of the Early Tender Deadline and the Expiration Date to 5:00 P.M. New York City time on October 21, 2016, unless further extended by PDVSA in its sole and absolute discretion. The Early Tender Deadline was previously scheduled to expire at 5:00 P.M. New York City time on October 17, 2016, and the Expiration Date was previously scheduled to expire at 5:00 P.M. New York City time on October 17, 2016. All other terms and conditions to the Exchange Offers remain the same.

The consummation of the Exchange Offers is conditioned upon, among other things, the valid tender of at least 50% of the aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes. As of the prior Early Tender Deadline, substantially less than 50% of the aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes have been tendered.

Low oil prices will adversely affect the Company's ability to generate cash flow from operations, which will impair the Company's ability to make scheduled payments on its existing debt, including the Existing Notes. The consummation of the Exchange Offers would improve the Company's near-term liquidity position. Consequently, if the Exchange Offers are not successful, it could be difficult for the Company to make scheduled payments on its existing debt, including the Existing Notes, which would result in the Company evaluating all alternative options. For further information, see the risk factor entitled "Our liquidity and ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control, and any failure to meet our debt obligations could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations" in the Offering Circular (defined below).

The Exchange Offers are being made pursuant to the Offering Circular dated September 16, 2016, as supplemented by the Supplement dated September 26, 2016 (the "Offering Circular"), which sets forth more fully the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers.

Capitalized terms not defined herein have their meaning set out in the Offering Circular. This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation to buy any securities, nor is it a solicitation for acceptance of the Exchange Offers. The Company is making the Exchange Offers only by, and pursuant to the terms of, the Offering Circular to holders of the Existing Notes. The Exchange Offers are not being made in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.

D.F. King & Co., Inc. has been appointed as the information agent and the exchange agent for the Exchange Offers. Holders of the Existing Notes may obtain copies of the Offering Circular from D.F. King & Co., Inc. by accessing the website https://sites.dfkingltd.com/pdvsa. Holders of the Existing Notes may contact the information agent in New York: (800) 431-9646 (toll free) or (212) 269-5550 (banks and brokerage firms), in London: +44 20 7920-9700 or e-mail at [email protected]. The CUSIP for the April 2017 Notes is XS0294364103 (Regulation S). The CUSIPs for the November 2017 Notes are 716558AB7 (Rule 144A); P7807HAK1 (Regulation S)/ US716558AB79 (Rule 144A); and USP7807HAK16 (Regulation S).

SOURCE PDVSA