HOUSTON, April 26 (Reuters) -

A crude oil trader at Aramco Trading Americas left the company this week, people familiar with the matter said, though it was unclear the reason for his departure.

The trader, David Herel, had joined Aramco from Gunvor Group in 2021 and became a crude oil trader the following year, according to his LinkedIn.com profile.

Herel did not immediately reply to requests for a comment. Aramco did not reply to a request for comment outside working hours.

Aramco Trading Americas was launched in January 2023, after Aramco acquired Motiva Trading.

Some traders at the unit briefly walked off the job in late March to protest lower-than-expected bonuses and the deferral of some bonus payments, the people said. (Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston and Liz Hampton in Denver; Editing by Diane Craft)