01. INTRODUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE
Welcome to the website of HSO Consortium (hereinafter, "the Consortium", "we", "us", or "our"), located at https://www.hsoconsortium.com. These Terms and Conditions (hereinafter, "the Terms") govern your access to and use of our website, as well as any services, information, content, or functionality available through it.
By accessing or using our website, you agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not use our website. These Terms should be read together with our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Anti-Phishing and Information Security Policy, HSO Petroleum Service Customer Commitment Policy, and OFAC + Venezuela Compliance Policy.
HSO Consortium is a strategic alliance of energy sector companies under the unrestricted leadership of Huron Smith Oil Co. (incorporated in the United States in 1950) and HSO Petroleum Services LLC. Our activities in Venezuela are governed by the HSO Consortium Work Framework and Internal Regulations and by the General Licenses of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
02. DEFINITIONS
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| "Consortium", "HSO Consortium", "we", "us", "our" | HSO Consortium, the strategic alliance led by Huron Smith Oil Co. and HSO Petroleum Service. |
| "Website" | The website accessible at https://www.hsoconsortium.com and all its subdomains. |
| "You", "user", "visitor" | Any person or entity that accesses or uses the Website. |
| "Contingent Contract" | An agreement as defined in OFAC General License 49A, the material performance of which is conditioned upon obtaining a specific license. |
| "Blocked Parties" | Persons or entities listed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, or located/organized under the laws of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba. |
03. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
3.1. Ownership
Unless otherwise indicated, Huron Smith Oil Co. and HSO Petroleum Services /or its licensors own all intellectual property rights in the content of the Website, including but not limited to texts, graphics, logos, icons, images, audio clips, software, data compilations, and designs. All rights are reserved.
3.2. Limited license to use
You may access and use the content of the Website for your personal, non-commercial use, subject to the following restrictions:
- You may not republish, distribute, sell, rent, sublicense, reproduce, duplicate, copy, or redistribute any material from the Website without our prior written permission.
- You may not use the Website for illegal or unauthorized purposes.
- You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any software on the Website.
3.3. Trademarks
The names "Huron Smith Oil Co.", "HSO Consortium", "HSO Petroleum Services", "HSO Insight" and their respective logos are trademarks owned by Huron Smith Oil Co. or its affiliates. No license or right to use such marks is granted to you.
04. USER-GENERATED CONTENT AND COMMENTS
4.1. Ability to post comments
Certain areas of our Website may allow you to post comments, opinions, suggestions, or other content (collectively, "Comments"). HSO Consortium does not filter, edit, publish, or review Comments before they appear on the Website. Comments reflect the views of the individual posting them and not necessarily those of the Consortium.
4.2. User warranties
By posting Comments, you warrant and represent that:
- You have the right to post such Comments and possess all necessary licenses and consents.
- The Comments do not infringe any intellectual property rights (including copyrights, patents, trademarks, or trade secrets) of any third party.
- The Comments do not contain defamatory, libelous, offensive, obscene, indecent, or unlawful material.
- The Comments are not used to solicit business, promote illegal activities, or harass others.
4.3. License to Comments
By posting Comments, you grant Huron Smith Oil Co. and HSO Consortium a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, distribute, and display such Comments in any media, as well as to authorize third parties to do so.
4.4. Right to monitor and remove
We reserve the right, but not the obligation, to monitor, edit, or remove any Comments that we consider inappropriate, offensive, illegal, or in violation of these Terms.
05. OFAC AND SANCTIONS COMPLIANCE RESTRICTIONS
In compliance with OFAC General Licenses 46B, 48A, and 49A, as well as Executive Order 14373, HSO Consortium absolutely prohibits any transaction, communication, or association with:
- Persons or entities located in, organized under the laws of, or connected with China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba.
- Persons or entities listed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List.
- Blocked vessels or vessels that have transported crude oil from sanctioned jurisdictions.
- Any person or entity using state crypto-assets (Petro) or proposing debt swaps.
By using our Website, you represent and warrant that you are not a Blocked Party and that you are not accessing the Website from a prohibited jurisdiction. If we determine otherwise, we reserve the right to block your access immediately and report the activity to the appropriate authorities (including OFAC).
06. HYPERLINKS AND LINKS
6.1. Links to our Website
Certain organizations may link to our Website without prior written permission, including:
- Government agencies.
- Search engines.
- News organizations.
- Online directory distributors.
These organizations may link to our home page, provided that the link: (a) is not deceptive; (b) does not falsely imply sponsorship, endorsement, or approval; and (c) fits within the context of the linking party's site. Other link requests may be considered at our discretion.
6.2. Links to third-party sites
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. These links are provided for your convenience only and do not imply our endorsement of such sites. We have no control over the content or privacy practices of third-party sites and are not responsible for them.
6.3. Prohibition of iFrames
Without our prior written permission, you may not create frames around our web pages that alter the visual presentation or appearance of our Website.
07. LIABILITY FOR THIRD-PARTY CONTENT
We are not responsible for any content that appears on third-party websites linking to ours. You agree to defend and hold us harmless from all claims arising out of your website. No links should appear on any website that could be interpreted as defamatory, obscene, criminal, or that infringe or advocate the infringement of third-party rights.
08. PRIVACY AND DATA PROTECTION
The use of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, available on the Website. By using our Website, you consent to the processing of your data in accordance with that Policy and applicable laws (Venezuela's Organic Law on Protection of Personal Data – LOPDP, and the California Consumer Privacy Act – CCPA).
09. MODIFICATIONS TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Modifications will be effective immediately upon posting on the Website. Your continued use of the Website after such posting constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms. We recommend that you review this page periodically.
10. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
10.1. Governing law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Additionally, the Consortium's operations in Venezuela shall be subject to Venezuela's Hydrocarbons Law (2026 reform) to the extent that it does not contradict the U.S. sanctions regime.
10.2. Jurisdiction and dispute resolution
Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Website shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration administered by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) under its then-current Arbitration Rules. The seat of arbitration shall be New York, USA. The language of the arbitration shall be English. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on both parties and may be enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Huron Smith Oil Co. and HSO Consortium may seek injunctive or provisional relief from any court of competent jurisdiction to protect their intellectual property or confidentiality rights.
11. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, HSO Consortium, Huron Smith Oil Co., its affiliates, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including without limitation loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from:
- Your use or inability to use the Website.
- Any conduct or content of third parties on the Website.
- Unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure of your transmissions or data.
Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of these Terms shall not exceed one hundred US dollars (USD $100).
12. DISCLAIMER
The Website and all its content are provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE", without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. In particular, we do not warrant that:
- The Website will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.
- The results obtained from using the Website will be accurate or reliable.
- Any errors in the Website will be corrected.
Nothing in this disclaimer shall limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
13. INDEMNIFICATION
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless HSO Consortium, Huron Smith Oil Co. and HSO Petroleum Services, its affiliates, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to:
- Your breach of these Terms.
- Your violation of any applicable law, including OFAC regulations.
- Your Comments or any content you post on the Website.
- Your use of third-party links or content.
14. DURATION AND TERMINATION
These Terms shall become effective on the date you first access the Website and shall remain in effect until terminated by either party. We may terminate your access to the Website at any time, without notice, if you breach any provision of these Terms. The provisions of intellectual property, indemnification, limitation of liability, and governing law shall survive termination.
15. GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be construed to reflect the original intent of the parties, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
- Waiver: Our failure to enforce a right or provision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
- Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.
- Relationship of the parties: Nothing in these Terms shall create a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between you and HSO Consortium.
16. CONTACT INFORMATION
For any questions, notices, or requests related to these Terms and Conditions, you may contact us at:
Email (legal): legal@huronsmithoil.com
Email (compliance): contact@hsoconsortium.com
Phone: +1 (866) 954-5938
Postal mail:
Huron Smith Oil Co.
Attn: HSO Consortium Legal Department
204 Hays St, Batesville, MS 38606, United States
CONTROLLED DOCUMENT – These Terms and Conditions form an integral part of the HSO Consortium Work Framework and Internal Regulations.
HURON SMITH OIL CO. AND HSO PETROLEUM SERVICES