
TotalEnergies rebuffs U.S. push to return to Venezuela, citing cost and environmental hurdles
Read Our Expert Analysis
Create an account or login for free to unlock our expert analysis and key takeaways for this development.
By continuing, you agree to receive marketing communications and our weekly newsletter. You can opt-out at any time.
Recommended for you

Exxon CEO Says Political Reform Must Precede Major Venezuela Oil Investment
ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods told U.S. officials that the company will not commit major capital to restore Venezuelan oil production until political stabilization, stronger legal protections and enforceable contracts are in place. His remarks, coming amid White House appeals for up to $100 billion in private rebuilding funds and emerging Venezuelan legal drafts to entice investors, underscore a growing gap between U.S. policy ambitions and industry risk tolerance.

Trump Signals Openness to China and India Investing in Venezuela’s Oil Sector
Former President Donald Trump publicly indicated he would not oppose Chinese or Indian investments in Venezuela’s petroleum industry, framing such capital as potentially beneficial for output and global energy supplies. His remarks add rhetorical cover for Asian investors but stop short of policy changes — concrete investment will hinge on legal reforms, sanctions relief, and financial mechanisms that are still unresolved.

Administration Studies Iraq’s oil aftermath as It Moves to Control Venezuela’s Reserves
Senior U.S. officials have been explicitly mining lessons from Washington’s post-2003 role in Iraq’s petroleum sector to shape a more interventionist approach to Venezuela’s oil complex. Early actions include routing previously sanctioned barrels through U.S.-managed sales (roughly $500 million in the initial transaction) and using those proceeds under tight conditions for transitional fiscal needs, but legal, political and banking frictions — plus plans for an on-the-ground intelligence presence and draft domestic energy reforms — complicate any quick recovery.
Venezuela Operation Splits Opinion in Houston, Raising Stakes for U.S. Oil and Politics
The U.S. operation that removed Nicolás Maduro has produced a sharp split in Houston between relief among exiles and skepticism from workers and veterans, even as national polls show more disapproval than support. Washington’s follow-up moves—including a reported $500 million sale of formerly sanctioned barrels routed to U.S.-overseen accounts, incremental embassy reengagement and plans for a limited intelligence footprint—have amplified both economic hopes for Venezuelan oil and worries about legal, humanitarian and geopolitical costs.

Venezuela Proposes Major Oil Law Overhaul to Lure Capital and Share Operations
Venezuela’s interim government has tabled changes to its hydrocarbons law that would loosen operational rules, allow mixed and private operators, and introduce project-specific fiscal terms to attract outside capital. The measures include a royalties cap and a new hydrocarbons tax while easing currency and commercial restrictions for minority partners, signaling an intent to make large-scale upstream projects bankable again.

Chevron Adopts Local Reinvestment Strategy in Venezuela to Shield Cash
Chevron is shifting to a self-funding approach in its Venezuelan operations, keeping earnings in-country and using them to sustain activity rather than repatriating cash. That tactic dovetails with draft Venezuelan hydrocarbons reforms that could ease banking and contractual frictions, but it still depends on sanctions dynamics and enforceable guarantees to be durable.
Trump's Venezuela Oil Blueprint: Feasible or Fantasy?
Proposals to unlock Venezuelan crude mix diplomatic leverage, conditional dollar flows and legal reform, but tangible gains will be limited without multibillion-dollar rehabilitation, bankable investor protections and cleared sanction mechanics. Short-term liquidity operations (including a reported U.S.-managed sale of roughly $500 million) and draft hydrocarbons reforms widen options, yet output under one million bpd and degraded infrastructure make rapid supply gains unlikely.

US Push Against Beijing’s Footprint in Latin America Intensifies After Venezuela Operation
A US operation that removed Venezuela’s leader has accelerated Washington’s campaign to curb Chinese influence across Latin America, combining maritime pressure, covert intelligence steps and the seizure of oil revenue routed through U.S.-controlled accounts. The move raises immediate financial stakes—including an initial roughly $500 million sale of sanctioned barrels and strained repayment prospects for some Chinese creditors—while forcing regional governments to weigh urgent security concerns against economic ties to Beijing.