Overview
- President Donald Trump is meeting Friday with about a dozen oil companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Spain’s Repsol and India’s Reliance, to discuss reactivating Venezuela’s industry.
- The Department of Energy says immediate sales of 30–50 million barrels will begin and U.S. control of Venezuelan crude sales will continue indefinitely with proceeds handled through U.S.-managed accounts.
- U.S. oil firms are pressing for robust legal and financial guarantees, including clarity on compensation for past expropriations and sanctions oversight, before committing substantial capital.
- Independent operators are racing to line up assets as specialists caution that restarting heavy-oil output will be slow, capital‑intensive and environmentally challenging given Venezuela’s degraded infrastructure and high methane intensity.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled selective sanctions relief and oversight of oil-sale funds, while early market ripples include pressure on Argentine energy stocks and Mexican worries about investment diversion from Pemex; Chevron lifted 1.68 million barrels this week.