Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and its heavy crude is particularly well suited to the sophisticated refineries lining the U.S. Gulf Coast. More Venezuelan oil should help U.S. refiners, but that doesn't translate directly into lower prices at the pump.
Trump announced Friday that the U.S. had secured majority control over Venezuelan fields containing more than 65 billion barrels of oil, saying the agreement would greatly increase U.S. supply and substantially lower gasoline prices "long into the future." On Sunday, he added another destination for Venezuelan crude, saying Washington would soon start using it to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The deal gives the U.S. access to an enormous oil resource, but the effect on gasoline prices will depend on how much additional Venezuelan crude can actually be produced and where those barrels go.
Venezuela is currently producing roughly 1.25 million bpd, while the new projects are targeting production above 1.5 million bpd. Getting substantially beyond that will require more drilling, extensive workovers, improved infrastructure, reliableF access to diluents and significantly more drilling rigs, according to Rystad.
Venezuelan crude's role in American refining is already substantial. U.S. imports from Venezuela averaged 637,000 bpd over the four weeks through Aug. 21, according to the EIA, reaching 662,000 bpd in the latest week. Venezuela was the second-largest U.S. crude supplier behind Canada during that period. Those barrels have become more useful as the U.S.-Iran war has disrupted crude and heavy fuel oil flows from the Middle East.
#venezuelan
Trump announced Friday that the U.S. had secured majority control over Venezuelan fields containing more than 65 billion barrels of oil, saying the agreement would greatly increase U.S. supply and substantially lower gasoline prices "long into the future." On Sunday, he added another destination for Venezuelan crude, saying Washington would soon start using it to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The deal gives the U.S. access to an enormous oil resource, but the effect on gasoline prices will depend on how much additional Venezuelan crude can actually be produced and where those barrels go.
Venezuela is currently producing roughly 1.25 million bpd, while the new projects are targeting production above 1.5 million bpd. Getting substantially beyond that will require more drilling, extensive workovers, improved infrastructure, reliableF access to diluents and significantly more drilling rigs, according to Rystad.
Venezuelan crude's role in American refining is already substantial. U.S. imports from Venezuela averaged 637,000 bpd over the four weeks through Aug. 21, according to the EIA, reaching 662,000 bpd in the latest week. Venezuela was the second-largest U.S. crude supplier behind Canada during that period. Those barrels have become more useful as the U.S.-Iran war has disrupted crude and heavy fuel oil flows from the Middle East.
#venezuelan
2 months ago
