Overview
- Brent and WTI showed no immediate spike after the U.S. operation, with recent quotes near $60 and $57 per barrel as trading paused for the weekend.
- An OPEC+ teleconference of key producers was scheduled before futures reopen, with reports suggesting no major policy shift is expected in the near term.
- President Donald Trump said the United States intends to be heavily involved in reviving Venezuela’s oil sector, with U.S. majors such as Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips cited as potential players; Chevron currently ships roughly 150,000 bpd from Venezuela to the U.S. Gulf Coast under existing allowances.
- Venezuela holds about 303 billion barrels of proven reserves but produces roughly 1.1–1.14 million bpd, and its heavy, acidic crude plus deteriorated infrastructure create logistical and financing frictions that may surface over weeks rather than days.
- Analysts outline divergent paths—from limited market impact to price gains if infrastructure or politics disrupt supply—while regional knock-on effects are weighed for Argentina’s Vaca Muerta and for Mexico’s Pemex if capital shifts toward Venezuela.