Trump Close To 'Massive' Deal For Seizing Stake In Venezuela's Vast Oil Fields
Amid ongoing global oil supply disruptions due to the Iran war and Hormuz Strait crisis, and also as Ukraine's war on Russian oil refineries and export terminals heats up, the Trump administration has been scrambling to tap new reliable and long-term energy sources.
Now, nearly eight months since the US miliary raid on Caracas which removed from power and captured socialist President Nicolás Maduro, and the Trump administration is said to be on the brink of a massive deal to gain ownership stake in the countries vast oil resources.
Axios is newly reporting Thursday of 'negotiations' (sure) in the works: "The historic deal would more than double U.S. oil reserves by drawing from a country that has the world's largest proven reserves."
Back in February: Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez greets US Energy Secretary Chris Wright at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, via AP
The report cites one official as saying that "Calling this deal huge would be an understatement" as is is "massive."
The wars in Iran and Ukraine, and especially the race to reopen Hormuz to international crude transit, have added heightened urgency to the talks - and given the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has reached a 40-year low.
Over a dozen productive oil fields are said be central to the "talks", with Trump officials hoping for a quick breakthrough after long hyping Trump's "Donroe Doctrine" and what it can do to bolster American energy independence and security. Of course, instead of 'talks' or 'negotiations'... in reality this is more simply about hammering out details on what orders will be dictated to the 'new' post-Maduro US client state in South America.
Axios details further of what's at stake in the deliberations with Caracas:
But this latter note remains the big question and risk, in terms of a potentially long timeline before the new potential Venezuelan oil flows make a noticeable difference.
Though sitting atop the world's biggest proven oil reserves, Venezuela has long been known for its derelict and largely defunct infrastructure for getting crude out of the ground and refining. There's also the question of security, which has been a source of discussion between the US admin and American oil companies being courted.
The oil majors must be convinced that they can operate in enough safety to be successful, not just for the coming months, but for years down the line. But if a broad and major 'deal' is struck with Caracas, these issues will probably look minor.
There are also lingering transparency and accountability questions concerning the Venezuelan oil exports that Washington already took over since Maduro's ouster. This summer, the Council on Foreign Relations asked 'where has all the money gone?'...
The CFR also wrote:
The last public update was shared by President Trump to reporters in late July. He indicated the US has collected more than $13 billion from the sale of Venezuelan crude.
With both the Venezuelan oil export control scheme and this new plan for US companies to move in based on a grand deal, the White House is touting that this is all about securing America's energy future.
But as for the Venezuelan people's future...
"President Trump is close to securing America's energy future for generations to come, not just in the U.S. but in the hemisphere," an official said to Axios.
As a reminder Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez was previously Maduro's Vice President, and so the chavista socialism system is still actually in place, even if the new ruling regime is in reality now a puppet of Washington interests.
While President Trump initially declared that Washington would effectively "run" Venezuela, he later had openly endorsed Rodríguez as a temporary caretaker during the transition, despite her being as hardcore a Leftist pro-Maduro figure as anyone.
Among the first US actions with a compliant Rodríguez at the helm in Caracas was to cut off Venezuela's oil supply to nearby ally Cuba. So ultimately, an eventual grand deal for American companies to take over Venezuelan oil fields should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention to what Washington's real long-running regime changes aims in Venezuela were all about. In the meantime Western MSM outlets like Axios still pretend in their framing of these developments that the US is at the helm of some kind of "rules-based order".
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/27/2026 - 16:40
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
Amid ongoing global oil supply disruptions due to the Iran war and Hormuz Strait crisis, and also as Ukraine's war on Russian oil refineries and export terminals heats up, the Trump administration has been scrambling to tap new reliable and long-term energy sources.
Now, nearly eight months since the US miliary raid on Caracas which removed from power and captured socialist President Nicolás Maduro, and the Trump administration is said to be on the brink of a massive deal to gain ownership stake in the countries vast oil resources.
Axios is newly reporting Thursday of 'negotiations' (sure) in the works: "The historic deal would more than double U.S. oil reserves by drawing from a country that has the world's largest proven reserves."
Back in February: Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez greets US Energy Secretary Chris Wright at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, via AP
The report cites one official as saying that "Calling this deal huge would be an understatement" as is is "massive."
The wars in Iran and Ukraine, and especially the race to reopen Hormuz to international crude transit, have added heightened urgency to the talks - and given the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has reached a 40-year low.
Over a dozen productive oil fields are said be central to the "talks", with Trump officials hoping for a quick breakthrough after long hyping Trump's "Donroe Doctrine" and what it can do to bolster American energy independence and security. Of course, instead of 'talks' or 'negotiations'... in reality this is more simply about hammering out details on what orders will be dictated to the 'new' post-Maduro US client state in South America.
Axios details further of what's at stake in the deliberations with Caracas:
- The fields in question, which has 90 billion barrels of proven reserves, used to be controlled by former Venezuelan insiders — including some who've been indicted — as well as interests once controlled by China, the official said.
- In return for giving the U.S. an ownership stake, Venezuela's government would benefit from private companies, including American firms, developing the fields and returning more oil revenue to that country.
But this latter note remains the big question and risk, in terms of a potentially long timeline before the new potential Venezuelan oil flows make a noticeable difference.
Though sitting atop the world's biggest proven oil reserves, Venezuela has long been known for its derelict and largely defunct infrastructure for getting crude out of the ground and refining. There's also the question of security, which has been a source of discussion between the US admin and American oil companies being courted.
The oil majors must be convinced that they can operate in enough safety to be successful, not just for the coming months, but for years down the line. But if a broad and major 'deal' is struck with Caracas, these issues will probably look minor.
There are also lingering transparency and accountability questions concerning the Venezuelan oil exports that Washington already took over since Maduro's ouster. This summer, the Council on Foreign Relations asked 'where has all the money gone?'...
The CFR also wrote:
The last public update was shared by President Trump to reporters in late July. He indicated the US has collected more than $13 billion from the sale of Venezuelan crude.
With both the Venezuelan oil export control scheme and this new plan for US companies to move in based on a grand deal, the White House is touting that this is all about securing America's energy future.
But as for the Venezuelan people's future...
Washington Is Making Venezuela Pay for Its Own Occupation — 32% of Oil Revenue
The U.S. invasion has turned Venezuela’s oil industry into a revenue stream for Washington. Economist Francisco Rodríguez says the Trump administration has charged Venezuela $4.7 billion, or 32%… pic.twitter.com/3jwxLHLWZe
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) August 14, 2026
"President Trump is close to securing America's energy future for generations to come, not just in the U.S. but in the hemisphere," an official said to Axios.
As a reminder Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez was previously Maduro's Vice President, and so the chavista socialism system is still actually in place, even if the new ruling regime is in reality now a puppet of Washington interests.
While President Trump initially declared that Washington would effectively "run" Venezuela, he later had openly endorsed Rodríguez as a temporary caretaker during the transition, despite her being as hardcore a Leftist pro-Maduro figure as anyone.
Among the first US actions with a compliant Rodríguez at the helm in Caracas was to cut off Venezuela's oil supply to nearby ally Cuba. So ultimately, an eventual grand deal for American companies to take over Venezuelan oil fields should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention to what Washington's real long-running regime changes aims in Venezuela were all about. In the meantime Western MSM outlets like Axios still pretend in their framing of these developments that the US is at the helm of some kind of "rules-based order".
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/27/2026 - 16:40
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
