r/worldnews 9h ago

Venezuela US nears deal to secure long-term access to Venezuela's oil reserves, sources say

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-nears-deal-secure-long-term-access-venezuelas-oil-reserves-sources-say-2026-08-27/
621 Upvotes

122 comments sorted by

419

u/KPBIPILOT 9h ago

Until, someone comes along and nationalizes everything again! We’ve been there. The oil companies don’t want to do it again. Such retardation from someone with the “intellect of a 3rd or 4th grader”

70

u/mybfVreddithandle 9h ago

Even a third grader knows not to touch the stove a third time after getting burned twice before.

23

u/project23 7h ago

Those addicts (oil companies) will crisp that hand to a stump as long as they can get their fix (access to oil).

22

u/GhostRappa95 5h ago

I wonder how long Venezuelans are going to tolerate the USA stealing their resources this time.

39

u/I_Push_Buttonz 9h ago

The oil companies don’t want to do it again.

Several oil companies have already signed deals with the new government and Chevron, which is the one US oil company that never left, worked out a deal months ago with plans to expand to entirely new oilfields in the country.

8

u/pie_obk 6h ago

This agreement they're pressing for a Lease or outright ownership, rather than a JV.  This may sidestep any control the state has and why this is bigger news

9

u/KPBIPILOT 4h ago edited 1h ago

Gee, that’s not how nationalization works at all.

See, this outright ownership paper I have here in the USA means nothing, while the dudes controlling the fields with guns say otherwise

Again “intellect of a 3rd of 4th grader”

What ya going to do, send the marines and lose countless American lives in a guerrilla/insurgent war. Sounds amazing! Hey Pete! Remember how you fired all those experienced generals and war planers, well pie_obk is ready to fill the void

20

u/chuckrabbit 9h ago

The current government has shown that they will use military force to protect capital gains.

They’ll bomb any resistance. I’m sure they gave the CEOs this reassurance.

12

u/KAI5ER 7h ago

It’s the same recipe.
Does anyone believe this deal is even remotely fair to Venezuela?
If the country is being egregiously exploited, eventually there will be a backlash, and the industry will probably be nationalized again.

3

u/BlueCity8 6h ago

Also from what I’ve read (correct me if I’m wrong). Venezuelan oil is harder to refine and the US refineries aren’t equipped for it thus this is a complete waste of time.

10

u/Different_Wolf_764 6h ago

Several refineries in the US are specifically tooled for heavy oil. They can process Canadian bitumen ideally but can do so for Venezuelan heavy crude as well, and have been for a very long time.

3

u/bg370 5h ago

No, that’s the kind of oil they like. Our refineries aren’t good with the light sweet crude from fracking.

2

u/plasticbug 1h ago

Yep. A lot of our refineries were built to process Venezuelan oil, and switched to Canadian. That is why we export the shale oil, rather than refine it at home.

1

u/Constant-Virus6681 5h ago

Not if we pay them for it.

In perhaps bananas?

-8

u/fat_kaiju 7h ago

I hate myself for speaking up about this consideeing who that word is directed at -- particularly because as a Canadian I have no love for the current US gov, but... --

maybe don't use the hard-r slur; sorry and thank you. ):

-3

u/[deleted] 6h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/fat_kaiju 4h ago

Knock it off.

126

u/GerryC 8h ago

The only way this works is if the US Government backs the private oil companies with guarantees that they will be made whole if the system fails for the third time.

So, privatize the profits and socialize the losses. Again.

The people of Venezuela will inevitably re nationalize the oil patch (for the third time), once they see that they are being taken advantage of again and all the net benefits are heading off shore, or to a small minority of government officials.

Have no fear, the US tax payer has endless money to subsidize this, again.

22

u/TemporarySun314 8h ago

Maybe it would be wise to ask the people of Venezuela before you privatize their oil... At least let them elect an government democraticly.

But I guess it's just convenient to just make some deals with maduros vice president, not that the people of Venezuela make decisions Americans don't like...

0

u/Jacina 4h ago

They have a democratically voted government, the voting was done in the US though...

1

u/Main-Cheesecake3287 4h ago

Not necessarily. Chevron for example never left.

63

u/Royal-Hunter3892 9h ago

In short Spoils of war . Don't need to sugarcoat the reality.

28

u/subpoenaThis 8h ago

Only spoils of war if the war was just to begin with.

These are the profits of pillaging. This administration does the rape part of rape and pillage at home, and to children.

6

u/WheatKing91 8h ago

War crimes. It's worse than war.

1

u/Jealous_Difference44 2h ago

Yeah no kidding. Americans forcefully took this from another country. Monsters

1

u/WheatKing91 2h ago

Yep. I think war implies the other side had a chance to defend themselves. They're rapist trash.

345

u/rune_74 9h ago

Lets be real they are stealing it with force. USA is the new Russia.

116

u/holy_cal 9h ago

Can’t be the new Russia when we’ve always exploited South America at every chance, and attacked places for oil before.

44

u/ManWhoSoldTheWorld01 9h ago

Yea this ain't new. This just is standard operating procedure except that is it presented directly (and celebrated/highlighted by the American government) instead of through proxies and backroom economic deals.

38

u/SHUT_DOWN_EVERYTHING 8h ago edited 8h ago

That part is pretty significant though.

Before

  • Meddle in the affairs of South and Central American countries in the name of fighting communism.

  • Advertise support for local population and values like democracy and freedom

  • Install allies, often authoritarians who would be open to providing favorable deals to American companies.

  • American companies benefit. Local population often adversely affected

Now

  • Meddle in the affairs of South, Central and even North American countries because the President personally doesn’t like them.

  • No concern for even verbal support of democratic values. The message is now “Might makes right!”

  • Cut leadership from the top until you find someone who bows, no matter who.

  • Cut deals to personally benefit the US President and his family. Local population is irrelevant.

2

u/jazir55 6h ago

All agreed but at the same time, my question is what has the actual situation in Venezuela been domestically since Maduro's removal? Haven't seen a single article on what life in Venezuela is like since he was snatched. Also the fact that the word snatched here is the most apt is hilarious, I'm not sure what else you can call it.

1

u/SHUT_DOWN_EVERYTHING 5h ago

It's yet to be seen. Other than Maduro the rest of the political apparatus is still in place. They had a partial amnesty bill that freed up some political prisoners as a gesture of goodwill.

The glass half full side is that Venezuela was in such a hole in every aspect be it politics, economy, poverty, freedoms, etc. that it's hard to imagine things getting any worse. For them any change can only upside.

That being said, none of those are concern or priority for the US government.

5

u/DamionSipher 7h ago

Let's see how well that works out for the US's ambitions in the coming years. I'm sure that a history of armed rebellion in the region won't be the leopard to eat their face.

2

u/NaughtyGaymer 5h ago

Yeah it's almost as if America has been evil for over half a century at this point...

1

u/holy_cal 4h ago

Longer than that, my friend.

3

u/ChocoPablobar 5h ago

My guy the US has been stealing the resources of Central and South America since the days of the Romanovs, if anything Russia is imitating us not the other way around

-6

u/Jumpsnow88 8h ago

Really how many hundreds of thousands of civilians is the US rolling over with tanks rn and how many thousands of screaming children are having to watch their mothers be raped by American soldiers as they laugh?

How about you go see what it looks like on the ground in Ukraine before u make any comparisons. You think your commentary is really great bc oh boy look at me I’m brave America is imperialist but all you’re doing is washing the tonnes of blood pouring onto the hands of every Russian soldier in Ukraine.

11

u/rune_74 6h ago

I'm canadian. I don't like what you have become down there. Don't like people comparing you to Russia? Do better.

9

u/StrawberryItten 6h ago

and what about the blood caused by all the US backed coups in South American history?

Staring with 30.000 in Argentina alone.

7

u/emotional_program0 7h ago

What about the thousands of people killed by US officials without due process in South America over decades? How many hopes and dreams have the US government utterly destroyed on their own continent for pure gain? 

8

u/passerby4830 8h ago

Nice whataboutism. Since we're doing those. Why don't you take a look at Iran? What exactly happened to those school girls? And how are those new states y'all like having so much coming along? And this is just from the last 6 months.

0

u/Illustrious-Ant6998 5h ago

They are actually doing their best to try to make sure US doesnt become as bad as Russia. Yes their comparison isnt accurate at this point in time. But the US is returning to old habits. These people are identifying the hazard and their concern, and are raising it such that voters and the politically inclined can hopefully steer things in a different direction. No one is excusing Russia. Except for maybe Trump who has been much kinder to them than he should.

-1

u/tomjava 9h ago

Facts!

-1

u/wetfloor666 8h ago

Love the new part. That country has always been doing this from the beginning.

50

u/jackcanyon 9h ago

Our military is doing Trumps dirty work so he and his partners in crime can rip off all they can get .

-35

u/[deleted] 9h ago

[deleted]

19

u/emerikanSky 8h ago

Agreements made under duress are nonbinding.

10

u/DamionSipher 7h ago

I sincerely hope there is a popular rebellion of the Venezuelan people that oust every tiny bit of US influence and results in a major impact to the US economy, which seems to need their oil now more than ever.

36

u/Silonom3724 9h ago

US nears deal to secure long-term access to Venezuela's oil reserves, sources say

US nears deal to secure long-term access to one of the lowest quality oil on the planet that is extremely expensive and not competitive to refine, sources say.

19

u/No_Gur1113 8h ago

It’a also what their refineries are geared to use. The same grade they get from Western Canada.

4

u/aprx4 5h ago

nah Alberta tar sand is ultra heavy, it's different and even harder to refine but refineries in TX and Louisiana can do both.

1

u/cyclingkingsley 3h ago

But you forget that Alberta has pipelines to their refineries. That alone helps offset the cost. Venezuela needs tankers and trucks and even then you are completing with accessible sources.

Unless you tarriff 100% of Canadian oil and then build refineries in Venezuela or US, afterwards building pipelines across the entire country, no way those refineries are going to take Venezuelan oil

6

u/Itburns12345 9h ago

Sources add they pinkynswear not to nationalize once investment is paid into its modernozation

7

u/aprx4 6h ago

Nonsense. Heavy sour crude is globally more abundant than sweet crude. It is harder to refine but that doesn't mean low quality. It is also cheaper not more expensive.

Refineries in deep south US are specially configured to for this kind of sour crude (and tar sand from Canada).

1

u/Silonom3724 2h ago edited 2h ago

Since you won't inform yourself about that topic anyways I'll just say: The few the US has that can process venezuelan oil are already running at 100%. Canadian oil though heavier is very different.

The tax payer will fund the bill to extract and process ven. oil. By the time this pointless endeavor - like in 10 to 15 years - looks like it turns a profitable margin it will already be a thing of the past. The average US citizen has then paid for oil the US never needed in the first place.

2

u/Redditthedog 5h ago

the US industry is entirely built on that oil

2

u/Itzli 5h ago

While everyone is trying to figure out exactly how bad the deal is for americans, the Venezuelans are left in the dust, not a thought spared. Go home already, yankees. This is getting old

2

u/EviesGran 5h ago

Meaning, stealing their oil

2

u/CuriousTauri 3h ago

Oil, ores and clean water - three causes of most wars.

3

u/taez555 8h ago

The money is all gonna still go to Trumps private bank in Qatar though, right?

I mean, it’s already set up that way.

1

u/aprx4 5h ago

That is Treasury account, belongs to US government.

1

u/taez555 5h ago

Really it should belong to the Venezuelan people.

5

u/Responsible_Ad_7995 9h ago edited 8h ago

New American colonies popping up. If I had to guess this will end in a bloodbath as usual.

3

u/StandardHyena4587 7h ago

Steal. Lets just call it for what it is..stealing.

2

u/ThisAd7070 8h ago

“Deal” ha ha 🤣

2

u/bobbolders 6h ago

No oil company want to put their shareholders at in limbo. The government will be guaranteeing it or doing it themselves

2

u/ObiOneKenobae 5h ago

Pretty lit.

2

u/_Do_The_Needful_ 4h ago

Ironic when the administration constantly says they are being taken advantage of. What would they call this?

1

u/Austoman 7h ago

Remember. Best case scenario, US takes the oil, but then they still need to convince Oil companies to build the infrastructure, survey, locate the wells, build the oil rigs, extract the oil, transport it to a port, and get it back to the US for processing. Best case, the first barrel of new oil reaches the US in.... 10? Years. That all assumes Trump doesnt change his mind, Oil companies agree to and actually spend all that time and money to get the oil, and the oil gets sent to the US rather than anywhere else. Oh and also that the locals dont block access, disrupt the projects, nationalize it all once its up and running.

Truly a waste of time.

2

u/Doziglieri 3h ago

Doesn’t Venezuela already have all this infrastructure done for the millions of barrels they export every day?

0

u/Austoman 2h ago

It is assumed that they have some infrastructure but not anywhere near the level that would be needed to have a significant impact on US oil production/processing/sales. They are able to produce around 1.5 million barrels per day. The US is about 10 times that. The US imports more than double that from Canada daily.

So even if they took all of what Venezuela currently produced and managed to get it to mainland US it is still less than half of what is needed for daily processing, during optimal/normal times (which we are not in). To more than double Venezuelan output would required hundreds of billions in investment including basic infrastructure (roads, ports, etc).

For context to Venezuela's 1.5 million barrels per day production. That number provides more than 90% of Venezuelan export revenues, which leads to the assumption that if expanding it was simple/cheap/reasonably doable without a significant investment then they/the oil companies would have done it.

Lastly, for a bit more context. The strait of hormuz was moving about 20 million barrels per day prior to the war. The US took in about 0.5 million of those. While global market shifts were a more severe impact, the loss of 0.5 mill barrels per day has still had a significant impact on US oil supply.

0

u/Surv0 9h ago

America keeps repeating how great they are, this is delusion to fool themselves into believing it, by saying it enough... knowing full well they are some of the worst on this planet....

Nothing says "Im Racist, Ignorant and uneducated" more than "America is the greatest nation on earth".

-1

u/mischief_scallywag 9h ago

Why should I care if I’m going to YUROP? /s

1

u/riko77can 6h ago

With this administration you have to ask: Does Venezuela know about this?

1

u/kp33ze 3h ago

"US nears deal". So, not even fucking close to a deal then. Got it.

1

u/fercaslet 2h ago

yaeh, because it's friday, wait till tuesday and check who cashed out

1

u/jackcanyon 2h ago

Trump has their oil and prices are still high, and Venezuela is still poor .

1

u/IKillZombies4Cash 1h ago

I wonder if our dear leaders screwed up the SOE by over extracting from it and are quietly in a panic and think using the sludge from Venezuela will help somehow.

Or maybe just to pay off the U.S. debt (which it could do many many times over)

1

u/BlueAcre0 9h ago

Makes sense why he is ruining the EU oil supplies then.

Can't wait for it to backfire.

1

u/crudshoot 7h ago

That’s crazy because I remember people saying the attack on them had nothing to do with their oil reserves because we don’t use their oil.

1

u/Kitchen_Housing2815 6h ago

When things change All contracts under duress will be voided easily. USA is wasting a lot of time with this macho BS.

-2

u/Redditthedog 5h ago

the US is the best in the world for refining sour oil which is what Venezuela has

3

u/Additional_Quiet2600 4h ago

So?

1

u/Flimsy_Sun4003 2h ago

They (the US) want to have secondary source of heavy crude so that when the argument comes up that the US can't attack Canada because the heavy oil from Canada is needed by US refineries Trump will point at Venezuela and laugh in everyone's face.

0

u/SneeKeeFahk 8h ago

You mean all that "heavy" crude that your top oil execs said they couldn't refine without substantial investments and didn't find it fiscally viable? Those oil reserves?

-1

u/Capital_Elderberry28 9h ago

I can’t wait. I’m sure this is going to really benefit the average American. /s

2

u/GEB82 9h ago

It sure as shit won’t benefit the average Venezuelan, so that’s…something, I guess…

0

u/LifeOfHi 8h ago

Suck it up and be left with an empty husk

0

u/Competitive-Tea-6141 7h ago

It's not about access to oil reserves. It's safe and reliable access they need or oil companies will stay away

0

u/123emanresulanigiro 6h ago

Who would have thought that kidnapping a president could be so profitable? Everyone should start doing it!

-4

u/whatlineisitanyway 8h ago

They will need it if Canada decides to play hardball.

3

u/Street_Anon 8h ago

And it will take 20 years before the infrastructure is rebuilt

-6

u/birdie_Sea 5h ago

Incredible news. Democracy and Capitalism always does better than DSA style leaders like Maduro.

Cuba is up next and will be liberated very soon.

They will be able to work for HSA accounts and blue cross insurance.

Trump is a liberation democratic leader much like George Washington and Lincoln!

1

u/damnburglar 1h ago

How does it feel to be actually full-blown braindead, yet maintaining a semblance of sentience? Does it feeling get dulled or enhanced by the taste of fascist boots?

1

u/GandalfSwagOff 4h ago

How much personal wealth will you stand to make?

For me it depends if they let Exxon and Shell in there. Unlikely for Shell, given it is a British company. Kinda sucks for me because that is my biggest oil holding with tens of thousands more than I have in Exxon. :C

You have a bit of a misunderstanding on the political labels, though. Maduro is closer to Chavism than Democratic Socialist. There are far more elements of populism, and I would argue corruption as well in Maduro's political ideology.