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01-10-26  Merlino

El presidente estadounidense ha decretado este sábado una "emergencia nacional" para proteger en cuentas del Tesoro de Estados Unidos los ingresos por las ventas del petróleo de Venezuela, lo que evitaría que acreedores de la deuda externa venezolana reclamen los fondos.
...........................................
Imho this step was foreseeable and it does not necessarily mean they are not going to orderly address the subject of debt in the future. When ????. Furthermore if production and income increase this executive decree can (and will be imho) challenged in court.
Lets see what happen with bond prices

01-10-26  spal

George Orwell's work, especially Nineteen Eighty-Four, serves as a warning against authoritarianism, where a "state of emergency" is perpetually maintained to justify control, silence dissent, and redefine truth ...

Words of a prophet.

01-10-26  victor

savo, here it is

//

Trump decreta una «emergencia nacional» para blindar la venta del petróleo venezolano en EE.UU. y evitar reclamaciones de los acreedores

El presidente estadounidense ha decretado este sábado una "emergencia nacional" para proteger en cuentas del Tesoro de Estados Unidos los ingresos por las ventas del petróleo de Venezuela, lo que evitaría que acreedores de la deuda externa venezolana reclamen los fondos.

La orden "bloquea cualquier embargo, juicio, decreto, derecho de retención, ejecución, o cualquier otro proceso judicial contra" fondos que estén en cuentas del Gobierno de Estados Unidos derivados de las ventas de petróleo venezolano, y "prohíbe transferencias o tratos" de estos recursos.

01-10-26  spal

Now some of this mighty be hyped and someone may walk on water ... but don't make a hope a strategy.

01-10-26  spal

You lose it ...

01-10-26  spal

If you do shit for 26 years what happens to your industry?

01-10-26  spal


Chevron’s operations in Venezuela appear profitable at oil prices well below $60 per barrel, but this reflects low marginal costs, not a fundamentally viable Venezuelan oil sector.

Chevron never fully exited Venezuela and continues to operate legacy joint ventures using already-built, fully depreciated infrastructure. aka sipping from the old cup in Spal language.


As a result, Chevron’s marginal cash cost—the cost of producing one additional barrel from existing wells—is likely in the $25–35 per barrel range, including lifting, blending, and transport. At this level, production remains cash-positive even in a $60 oil environment.


So far so good.


However, this does not mean Venezuela can meaningfully increase production at $60. The country’s widely cited $80+ per barrel breakeven reflects full-cycle economics: rebuilding degraded infrastructure, drilling new wells, rehabilitating upgraders, restoring pipelines and ports, and absorbing political and legal risk.

Chevron’s marginal barrels avoid these costs because they rely on sunk capital and deferred investment.

Bingo

Crucially, Chevron’s model does not scale. Modest production maintenance or incremental increases are feasible, but any serious expansion would require tens of billions in new capital, pushing costs back toward $70–90 per barrel.

In short, Chevron’s presence reflects path dependence and cost recovery, not proof that Venezuela’s oil sector is competitive at current prices.

01-10-26  spal

Is Chevron masochist to extract at 80$ in order to sell at 60$?

===

They have sunk their investment and are sipping from the top of the cup ... I know you know what a marginal cost curve looks like.

01-10-26  spal

"Meanwhile, the breakeven price for projects in Venezuela to turn a profit is more like $80, according to Claudio Galimberti, the chief economist for Rystad Energy."

Fake news ... right?

01-10-26  carib

Spal: WTI now is around 60$ a barrel. Is Chevron masochist to extract at 80$ in order to sell at 60$?

Oil traded down to 20$ a barrel, some years ago. Producing at a loss for a while can make sense.. but 80$ to 20$?

01-10-26  spal

https://discoveryalert.com.au/economic-fundamentals-venezuelas-energy-revival-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Break-even price estimates for Venezuelan heavy crude operations typically range from $65-80 per barrel.

Maybe these guys are wrong.

01-10-26  Merlino

I guess Oil Cos CEOs talk about challenges in order to get tax incentives, subsidies, whatever

01-10-26  Merlino

no expert here, but 80$ a barrel sounds fake.
..................................
Yes

The amount of investments needed to increase production also sounds fake to me
No expert here however I guess Veni can easily increase production to about 1.5 mmbd by mid year with little investment needed and perhaps to about 2.0 mmbd by year end w/o need of any outrageous amount to be sunk.
A different matter is the investment needed for general infrastructure, power generation and distribution, roads, etc. and for refineries and ports etc

01-10-26  spal

I am NOT saying no outright - I am just pushing to understand the challenges. For example where Exxon stands v.v. say Chevron. The upstream guys are going to need encouragements and incentives.

01-10-26  spal

Carib - it is not the marginal extraction price, but the all-in price that would be needed taking into account the needed investment and the traditional profit sharing. Even if not correct I think that the message is that there are cheaper and more attractive alternatives close by and that the market is well supplied in any case ... so why jump through hoops?

What does make sense it that there is a discount of around $15 that can immediately be recaptured on all existing production. Also US ports and refineries (which are the real winners here) will benefit in the longer run from more Vene throughput.

01-10-26  carib

SPAL: no expert here, but 80$ a barrel sounds fake.
if that was the extraction price, before taxes etc.. Veny would not have produced and exported as much as they did in the current century.

01-10-26  spal

Exxon has signaled it will not help Chevron develop Venezuela, instead focusing on high-margin Guyana assets where it has a $30/barrel breakeven compared to Venezuela’s estimated $80/barrel.
That is the reality.

While specific reports on Saudi Arabia's direct role in processing this at Port Arthur in 2026 are developing, Trump has explicitly stated his desire to use Venezuelan oil to lower global prices, which aligns with Saudi efforts to regain market share. This is part of the play ... and more money to Kushner and the Trump family. The Trump administration’s plan to control Venezuelan oil sales "indefinitely" would require Saudi cooperation to manage global supply.

Refining at Port Arthur: The Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas—wholly owned by Saudi Aramco—is one of the few facilities in the world designed specifically to handle the heavy, sour crude that Venezuela produces. By processing Venezuelan crude at Motiva, the Saudis can secure their refining margins while helping the U.S. recapture the "contraband discount" previously enjoyed by China.
Diversification: For the Saudis, this is a strategic play to push other international refiners out of the business by securing a "reliable chain of crude" at lower costs.




01-10-26  victor

El pacto con Mercosur disparará un 40% las ventas de la UE a la región y creará la mayor zona de libre comercio del mundo

Las empresas europeas competirán en mejores condiciones que las de China y los EE.UU., con una eliminación de aranceles cercana al 100%

La oposición de los agricultores europeos al acuerdo comercial entre la Unión Europea y los países del bloque Mercosur (Paraguay, Argentina, Brasil y Uruguay) ha sido tan ruidosa en los últimos años que ya casi parece que se trate de una entente únicamente agrícola, cuando lo cierto es que afecta a todos los sectores de la economía europea. De hecho, el pacto creará el espacio de libre comercio más grande del mundo hasta la fecha, con más de 700 millones de consumidores, y tendrá consecuencias geopolíticas sísmicas, ya que supone una clara victoria para el multilateralismo en un mundo cada vez más fragmentado en bloques.

Concretamente, el documento que la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, firmará en Paraguay la próxima semana elimina los aranceles para el 93% de los productos que las empresas europeas exportan a Mercosur, una región que actualmente tiene las tasas de importación más altas del mundo. Esto significa que la industria automovilística comunitaria podrá vender en ese mercado sin pagar el 35% de arancel que soporta actualmente, y lo mismo vale para la maquinaria industrial (14-20% de arancel), la industria química (18%) o la farmacéutica (14%).

01-10-26  panasonic

Chevron won a huge dispute over XOM on acquisition of Hess, gaining big presence in Guyana.

My guess XOM is not the better positioned player with DT administration, I would not decide veni assets value based on XOM opinion.

01-10-26  leopardo

Anyway Carib I think we have time to decide if
and when se should sell. Let’s wait a few(2/3) months
and see what happens…

01-10-26  carib

“It’s uninvestible,” ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods told officials in a blunt evaluation of the obstacles to doing business in the nation. “There are a number of legal and commercial frameworks that would have to be established to even understand what kind of returns we would get on the investment.”

01-10-26  carib

Leo: let us hope you are correct on this.
I am not so sure.

On the positive side, I think with the right technology and good management, Veny extraction costs remain competitive.

01-10-26  leopardo

I exactly bought it for that reason

01-10-26  spal


Spal bought some K92

===

Leo it is ultimately a leverage play on Gold. Nothing more, nothing less.

01-10-26  leopardo

Spal bought some K92

01-10-26  patient-trader

Pana, btw - Rivian is also in Edge AI, recently revealed their own chip.

01-10-26  leopardo

Right Carib.
But I stick to the fact that Vnz/Pdvsa bonds
are mostly Us detained and DJT does not want
to let’s say contrast and put himself in bad light with Us banks funds family Office s and Us lawyers working in the country.

01-10-26  spal

strong arm Chevron

01-10-26  spal

01-10-26 leopardo

My reading is that Oil companies investing in Venezuela will be well compensated for what they are doing.
So they can favor a write off for old expropriations as they will gain a lot from investing in the country.


===

Leo - I think this is a fantasy at current price levels and relative to other opportunities. The market price would need to be disrupted (meaning pulling Russian or Iranian oil completely off the market) - but higher prices are NOT in the interest of Trumps domestic strategy.

He is simply going to strong are Chevron and some others to lift as much Vene crude as possible without moving prices - to squeeze out the contraband discount and the oil will be processd by the Saudis in Port Arthur (Texas) at low margins (as the Saudis are trying to get a lock on US refining capacity).



01-10-26  spal


ExxonMobil's strategy heavily favoring Guyana is based on the superior risk-adjusted returns of the Stabroek Block compared to the massive costs, high risks, and lower profitability associated with re-entering Venezuela's dilapidated and politically volatile oil sector.

Comparative Costs and Profitability

Guyana (Stabroek Block): ExxonMobil's operations are world-class, low-cost assets with breakeven prices averaging around $30 per barrel. This makes the projects highly profitable, even in a low oil price environment, and allows for consistent returns with a low-to-medium risk profile.

Venezuela: The estimated breakeven price for projects in Venezuela is much higher, around $80 per barrel, due to the heavy crude quality requiring costly diluents and extensive processing, and the need for massive infrastructure overhauls. This is far above the current global oil prices hovering near $60-$65 per barrel.

Global Supply and Price Effects

Guyana Expansion: Exxon's ramp-up in Guyana (reaching 1.7 million bpd by 2030) is a steady, predictable increase in high-margin barrels that the market is absorbing within current forecasts.

Venezuela Revival: A rapid return of Venezuela to historical production levels (3-4 million bpd) would require an enormous capital expenditure of around $183 billion over 15 years and is widely considered unlikely in the short term.

However, even a more modest, hypothetical increase of production from Venezuela could flood the market, contributing to an existing or potential global oversupply (forecasted at a surplus of 3-4 million bpd in 2026).

This would likely suppress global oil prices, eroding the margins on ExxonMobil's existing production, including the highly profitable lighter barrels from Guyana.

Conclusion - it is better for Exxon that Vene oil remain in the ground.

01-10-26  carib

Leo: oil cos IMHO are correct in asking for solid guarantees before investing billions.
it takes a few years to recover your investment, before cashing profits. oilcos suffered expropriations and abusive taxation in Veny in the past.
The current de facto government cannot offer guarantees.. because they are officially "illegitimate".
US military power offers solid guarantees now.. but who can be certain of who will be in the white house in 2029?
Bottom line: ousting Maduro was great (hat off), avoiding a civil war also great.. but a credible, democratically elected veny president is necessary to offer solid guarantees.
MCM meeting DT is a good step forward.

But the key issue is DT apparently has no respect for formalities and legal niceties.
he considers himself and acts as if he was "deus ex machina"..
so we do not know what he might decide next, sadly.

01-10-26  leopardo

My reading is that Oil companies investing in Venezuela will be well compensated for what they are doing.
So they can favor a write off for old expropriations as they will gain a lot from investing in the country.

01-10-26  patient-trader

2 lawyers are engaged in a bizarre power struggle over Nicolás Maduro
https://www.businessinsider.com/nicolas-maduro-lawyer-power-struggle-venezuela-president-pollack-fein-2026-1

01-10-26  carib

Leo: what is your reading of Trump on the Conoco arbitration claim?

01-10-26  carib

Merlino: on a technical point, producing electricity by burning oil is now more expensive than using solar (of course, in sunny areas)

01-10-26  carib

O cardeal italiano Pietro Parolin, secretário de Estado do Vaticano, procurou representantes americanos na Santa Sé no final do ano passado para tentar mediar um asilo para o ditador Nicolás Maduro na Rússia, diz o jornal The Washington Post.

De acordo com o veículo, a conversa ocorreu na véspera de Natal, quando o religioso convocou Brian Burch, embaixador dos EUA na Santa Sé, para obter detalhes dos planos dos Estados Unidos na Venezuela.

01-10-26  Merlino

There is also the new factor that AI seems to be incredibly power hungry and conventional fossil fuels/gas electric generation is the quickest route to increase production

01-10-26  Merlino

I would say that as it was handy for US to get Veni out of the mkt years ago to make room for her fracking it seems it is the opposite now either bcz of her desire to get Iran to reduce production or whatever other reason

01-10-26  Merlino

if things go smoothly and transition carries on without problems the Bonds rally has further to go. I would not sell now but sell a part of my position before restructuring.
.................................
About same for me fwiw.....I guess this is kind of consensus view here in colores

01-10-26  leopardo

Carib if things go smoothly and transition carries on without problems the Bonds rally has further to go. I would not sell now but sell a part of my position before restructuring.

01-10-26  spal

"trimming" - absolutely the smart more. Sell into the impulse before it fades.

01-10-26  carib

Asset manager Aberdeen Investments is "trimming" its holdings of Venezuela's sovereign bonds, a portfolio ⁠manager told Reuters, after a stunning rally that has more than doubled the price of the country's defaulted bonds in the past 12 months.

01-10-26  carib

I would say.. 26 years of having the wrong regime..

01-10-26  spal

The majors' reluctance is highly likely to persist absent a significant oil price rise or major supply disruption elsewhere. Ceteris paribus, this exposes a clear US miscalculation.

As of January 10, 2026, oil markets remain soft: Brent crude hovers around $60–63/bbl, WTI near $58–59/bbl, with no upward momentum.


Forecasts unanimously point to continued easing in 2026 due to ample non-OPEC supply growth (Guyana, Brazil, US shale) and persistent global surplus—0.5–3.5M bpd oversupply expected, driving averages toward $55–56/bbl.

In this environment, Western majors have zero economic incentive to pour tens of billions into Venezuela's high-risk, capital-intensive rebuild.

Exxon is still publicly labeling it "uninvestable" without transformative reforms; the January 9 White House meeting yielded no commitments—only cautious study and demands for guarantees.

Adding Venezuelan barrels would only exacerbate the glut, further depressing prices and margins.

Ceteris paribus, the US (Trump administration) miscalculated by overestimating private-sector enthusiasm. The pitch assumed patriotic or opportunistic rush to invest post-Maduro capture—but majors prioritize shareholder returns and capital discipline over geopolitical imperatives.

Without subsidies, forced terms, or a tighter market (e.g., $80+/bbl from disruptions), progress stays stalled. Long-term strategic gains (energy dominance, displacing rivals) remain possible, but the short-term revival timeline looks overly optimistic.


01-10-26  savo

it was so simple... 8 years following the wrong policy... 8 years supporting an unpresantable opposition .. 8years insisting with a mythic democracy that will come... in time ... but not by force...


From the meeting with the Oils:

El representante de Chevron durante la reunión en la Casa Blanca fue Mark Nelson, su vicepresidente, quien asistió en nombre del director ejecutivo Mike Wirth. “Las empresas se preparan para reconstruir la industria petrolera venezolana en beneficio de los estadounidenses y los venezolanos”, señalaron desde la administración norteamericana.

Durante la jornada, cuando fue el turno de hablar directamente con Nelson, Trump le agradeció a la empresa por el “aguante” y le dedicó: “¿Dónde estás? Fuiste el único que aguantó todo. Durante todo ese tiempo, te llamaba y te preguntaba: ‘¿Qué demonios pasa con Venezuela?’. Aguantaste. No sé si ganaste dinero o no, pero aguantaste".

En tanto, desde la empresa le agradecieron: “Gracias, señor presidente, por convocar a esta reunión. Gracias por su liderazgo y por seguir manteniendo la dominación energética estadounidense en primer plano. Chevron ha sido parte del pasado de Venezuela. Sin dudas, estamos comprometidos con su presente. Y, como orgullosa empresa estadounidense, esperamos con ansias ayudarla a construir un futuro mejor. Socios orgullosos del dominio energético estadounidense".

Según indicó Reuters, días atrás, Chevron comenzó conversaciones con el gobierno de Trump para ampliar su licencia para operar en Venezuela y aumentar las exportaciones de crudo a sus propias refinerías y vender a otros compradores.

01-10-26  spal

It looks revolutionary

01-10-26  spal


Mario Nawfal

@MarioNawfal
·
2s
🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷SEC. RUBIO: AMERICA STANDS WITH IRAN'S BRAVE PROTESTERS

Secretary Rubio just dropped a clear message to the protestors in Iran:

"The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”

As protests explode in over 100 cities, crowds torching regime symbols, chanting for freedom, and facing live fire in the blackout, this U.S. backing hits different on this one.

01-10-26  spal

Iran ... now at the very edge

01-10-26  spal


Chaya’s Clan
@ChayasClan
·
19m
The entire local municipality building in the Iranian city of Karaj is engulfed in flames.

01-10-26  spal

BREAKING: Iranian civilians set fire to mosques in the nation's capital — calling for the end of the regime's authoritarian, Islamic theocracy.

01-10-26  spal


Jack Prandelli
@jackprandelli
·
2h
White House Venezuelan oil meeting rough for ConocoPhillips⚠️

Trump told CEO Ryan Lance to forget the $12B Caracas owes them (from 2007 expropriation + interest).

Trump: “We’re not looking at past losses that was their fault... good write-off.” Lance: “Already written off.

====

Whoops

01-10-26  spal

Obvious to us both. Capturing Maduro neutralized Venezuela's threats to annex Essequibo which is two-thirds of Guyana, including offshore riches.

They don't need to stretch for Vene.

01-09-26  savo

of course... Exxon wants another Guyana... 75% for Exxon 25% for Guyana...

01-09-26  spal

Venezuela is ‘uninvestible’ for now, Exxon CEO tells Trump in White House meeting.

Chevron more ready to play ball.

01-09-26  savo

if Trump is taking all veni resources that were supposed to be produced and exported to pay our bonds... and will pay for them with Fed papelitos.. the equitable thing to do is to also absorb the liabilities and pay them with Fed papelitos...


what are 100 bn of bonds and pdi in the big scheme of things?

01-09-26  carib

Leo: hope so, logically.

01-09-26  carib

Se especuló con que Rodríguez también visitaría Washington, pero lo desmintió Freddy Ñáñez, su ministro de Comunicaciones. “Estamos concentrados como Gobierno en la agenda interna para garantizarle a nuestro pueblo su derecho a la paz y la estabilidad”, ha dicho.

01-09-26  leopardo

No need to punish bondholders most of wich are Us
banks ,institutions or family offices.
They will give oil backed securities with low coupons
for old Vnz Pdvsa bonds
That will do the trick

01-09-26  carib



Iran signalled it was hardening its crackdown against protesters on Friday as an internet blackout cut off the Islamic republic from the outside world while the authorities battled to contain the biggest unrest in years.

01-09-26  carib

Leo: the risk is MAGA populism (I think US retail cannot buy Veny bonds directly)

01-09-26  carib

Ao tentar equilibrar a defesa da soberania com a denúncia da violação de direitos, o Brasil terminou em um limbo diplomático. A influência brasileira na América do Sul está sob escombros porque o país não conseguiu, nos últimos anos, construir uma alternativa de liderança ao mesmo tempo intransigente com o autoritarismo de Maduro e feroz na defesa da autonomia territorial.

01-09-26  leopardo

Trump won’t punish Us banks and Usinvestors holding
Vnz/Pdvsa bonds imo…

01-09-26  carib

and the risk we run is Trump plays an Iraq trick with Veny bonds..

01-09-26  savo

the scenario i am waiting for is for the US to assume veni's debt given that they are stealing veni's assets and paying in a currency which they print out of thin air.

01-09-26  panasonic

"Abre un escenario diplomático inédito sobre Venezuela"

No surprise if you are a colores reader ;-)

01-09-26  panasonic

Carib, that would be the perfect closing act...all those billions for nothing.

01-09-26  carib

Venezuela’s currency has fallen nearly 20 per cent on the black market since the US capture of President Nicolás Maduro, as uncertainty pushes citizens to hoard dollars and the partial US oil blockade chokes the crumbling economy.The plunge adds to the pressure on interim president Delcy Rodríguez to strike a deal with the US that will get oil flowing and bring much-needed greenbacks into the country.

The black market dollar was quoted at 723 bolívars on Friday by Monitor Dolar Venzuela, up from 585 on January 2, the day before the US operation.

In supermarkets in the capital this week, a kilogramme of beef cost $12, while 30 eggs were sold at $6.30. The minimum wage is just 130 bolívars per month — about 18 cents at Friday’s black market rate — while state workers and pensioners earn monthly $40 bonuses to cover food, plus “economic war” handouts of $120.

01-09-26  victor

savo, maybe the idea is to get mcm & dr to meet with dt at the same time.

//

Delcy Rodríguez solicita viajar a la Casa Blanca el próximo martes

La petición, que exige una exención de sanciones del Tesoro, coincide con la llegada anunciada de María Corina Machado y abre un escenario diplomático inédito sobre Venezuela

01-09-26  carib

Maybe Diosdado should end up like Julius Caesar (on March 15th)?

01-09-26  panasonic

Savo, they are positioning fast.

Rodriguez bros finally got it done, their exit package must be pretty good.

I'm curious on Diosdy's exit plan (if any), he killed and tortured people, cubans and russians want his head as well.

01-09-26  Merlino

Savo they are moving fast. I am impressed, it looks they have planed most everything in advance (and in negotiated agreement with local powers)

01-09-26  savo

El encargado de Negocios de Estados Unidos, John McNamara, viajó a Venezuela con el objetivo de avanzar en la reapertura de la sede diplomática en el país, según informa W Radio este viernes 9 de enero.

La visita se produce en un momento en que Estados Unidos busca reabrir su embajada en Caracas y subraya el deseo de la administración de restablecer una presencia diplomática en el país que el presidente Donald Trump ha dicho que Estados Unidos va a «controlar».

El funcionario dijo que personal diplomático y de seguridad estadounidense de la Unidad de Asuntos de Venezuela, con sede en Colombia, y el embajador interino de Estados Unidos en Colombia, John McNamara, viajaron a la capital venezolana “para realizar una evaluación inicial para una posible reanudación gradual de las operaciones”.

01-09-26  panasonic

Spal, will do,the good ones are privately owned like Deepx.

Hyundai is owner of Boston Scientific i.e. so it goes, big players game, even VC guys are concerned bcz creators are able to develop apps with few lines of AI code.

01-09-26  carib

Las declaraciones fueron realizadas durante una entrevista radial en la que Trump describió la política actual de su gobierno hacia La Habana como de “máxima presión”, subrayando que el régimen cubano atraviesa una situación de extrema debilidad. “No creo que se pueda ejercer mucha más presión salvo entrar y destruir el lugar”, afirmó el mandatario, en una frase que generó amplia repercusión.

01-09-26  carib

Mexico should stop sending oil to Cuba, for a change.

01-09-26  victor

Trump says the US will be conducting land strikes against the cartels. "We are gonna start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico."

01-09-26  victor

U.S. Southern Command

Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: “there is no safe haven for criminals.”

In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea without incident.

01-09-26  spal

Oil meeting--Trump, Rubio, Chris Wright, Doug Burgum to meet with executives from 17 companies today:
Chevron
Exxon
Conoco Phillips
Continental
Halliburton
HKN
Valero
Marathon
Shell
Trafigura
Vitol Americas
Repsol
Eni
Aspect Holdings
Tallgrass
Raisa Energy
Hilcorp


Hilcorp is very interesting BTW ... about as smart an operator as you can find anywhere.

01-09-26  carib

Donald Trump anuncia que se verá con María Corina Machado en Washington DC:

“Es una muy buena persona. Viene la semana que viene y me interesa saludarla”.

01-09-26  savo

guys... go ahead and sell with the news... Wall Street is delighted to take your bonds !

01-09-26  savo

Great days await Venezuela...


US president Donald Trump said today that oil companies will invest at least $100bn to rebuild Venezuela's oil and gas infrastructure. His comments on social media platform Truth Social come ahead of a meeting with industry executives at the White House on Friday.

"At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House," Trump said.

01-09-26  savo

victor.. clearly you know how to ruin my day! :-))

I hope he tells her to find an honest and forget about Miraflores for a good number of years.

01-09-26  victor

savo, dt said he's meeting mcm next week

01-09-26  spal

Panas - we are ready for you recommendations!

01-09-26  panasonic

Cheers from CES Las Vegas, tempted to sell all pdvsa and allocate in AI + Robotics, extraordinary what has been achieved in such short time.

Even panelists are speechless, demand is there, profit margins not sure will be enough down the road.

Best stuff is privately owned :-(

01-09-26  savo

Great days ahead for Venezuela.. free of MCM and free of sanctions...


Chevron, Vitol, Trafigura vie to control Venezuelan oil exports, sources say
By Shariq Khan, Marianna Parraga and Dmitry Zhdannikov
January 8, 20268:55 PM GMT-3Updated 3 hours ago

NEW YORK/HOUSTON/LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N)
, opens new tab, global trading houses Vitol and Trafigura, and other firms are competing for U.S. government deals to export crude oil from Venezuela, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The competition reflects a desire by many in the oil industry to access the South American country's crude stocks and production, with U.S. officials seeking to control Venezuelan oil sales indefinitely.


U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Venezuela give the United States full access to its oil sector just days after the U.S. captured the South American country's President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday. U.S. officials have said Washington will control the country's oil sales and revenues indefinitely.
Both Vitol and Trafigura were set to join Chevron and other major oil companies in meetings at the White House on Friday over the roles they may have in Venezuela's oil industry, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Ahead of the meetings, the companies have been lobbying the U.S. government hard to secure a share of what are expected to be lucrative oil export agreements from Venezuela.

The companies are contesting initial deals to market the up to 50 million barrels of oil that state-run oil company PDVSA (PDVSA.UL) has accumulated in inventories amid a severe oil embargo that has involved four tanker seizures, two of the sources said.

This week, PDVSA said negotiations were progressing, but provided no details. Its main joint venture partner, Chevron, is well placed to negotiate an expansion of its license to operate in Venezuela as the only major oil company still in the country.
Chevron could also trade at least a portion of PDVSA's own production, three sources said. However, for the first time in years, the U.S. oil major must compete with other foreign companies.

PDVSA wants to make sure that joint venture partners and former customers are part of the deal so it can complete debt repayment, expand output and secure fair prices for crude grades bound for specific destinations, two of the sources said.

Is the only U.S. oil major operating in Venezuela, which it does under an authorization from the U.S. government, that exempts it from sanctions on the country.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Energy said it was engaging with commodity marketers and banks to execute and provide financial support for Venezuelan crude and fuel sales. It did not specify which companies.

Details about the competition for these contracts had not previously been reported.

The sources requested anonymity to discuss confidential information. Vitol and Trafigura declined to comment. Chevron, PDVSA, and the White House did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

TRADING HOUSES ENTER THE FRAY
Geneva-headquartered Vitol has already received a preliminary license from the U.S. government to begin negotiations for the import and export of oil from Venezuela for 18 months, four sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Vitol and Trafigura had traded Venezuelan oil prior to U.S. sanctions in 2019 and marketed cargoes initially received by some of PDVSA's partners in recent years. Their capacity to have tanker fleets in Venezuela quickly and trade barrels exceeds that of others currently operating in Venezuela.

"U.S. majors are central to production, but large international trading houses bring global reach and optionality the majors lack. It therefore makes clear sense for these traders to engage proactively with the U.S. government to discuss next steps," Jean-Francois Lambert of consultancy Lambert Commodities said.

US INDEFINITE CONTROL OF OIL SALES
The Trump administration set its sights on Venezuela's oil industry soon after U.S. forces captured Maduro on January 3. Washington has said it wants to control Venezuela's oil sales and revenue indefinitely.

Trump has said he wants U.S. companies to invest in Venezuela and rebuild its oil industry to produce more oil and bring global energy costs down. Some oil executives have begun arranging trips to Caracas to do initial assessments.

Analysts and industry executives have expressed skepticism, noting Venezuela's degraded infrastructure, poor quality crude, and political uncertainty. U.S. oil majors have said they want "serious guarantees" before they make investments in Venezuela.
Years of under-investment and sanctions have led Venezuela's output to fall to around 1 million barrels per day, or just 1% of global supply, from 3.5 million bpd in the 1970s when it accounted for 7% of global oil.

Since 2019, the only companies authorized by the U.S. to receive oil from Venezuela are Chevron, India's Reliance (RELI.NS)
, opens new tab, Italy's Eni (ENI.MI), opens new tab, Spain's Repsol (REP.MC), opens new tab and France's Maurel & Prom (MAUP.PA)


In recent years, China has taken the lion's share of Venezuela's oil exports through little known intermediaries. Since last month when the U.S. began a naval blockade of Venezuelan waters, China has been unable to import Venezuelan oil.


https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chevron-competes-with-rivals-venezuelan-oil-sales-sources-say-2026-01-08/

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