Overview
- Trump said the oil will be sold at market prices with proceeds controlled by him, and he directed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to begin shipments using storage vessels to U.S. docks.
- Officials have not specified the timing, origin or transfer mechanisms for the barrels, with reporting noting a tanker blockade, stranded cargos and unresolved logistics.
- The White House is arranging meetings with Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, while experts and company statements highlight legal, fiscal and compensation hurdles and multiyear, multibillion‑dollar investment needs.
- Market reactions included a dip in U.S. crude futures following the announcement and gains in major oil company shares earlier in the week.
- The pledge follows the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro, who has pleaded not guilty in federal court, as Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president in Caracas.