From ADVFN - Part 310 Jan 2026 09:32
The level of ramp-up in oil output Trump envisions would require the majors to get involved in a big way. While the world’s largest oil companies are always eager to secure more reserves, especially with peak US production on the horizon, many have been burned before. In 1946, the year Trump was born, Chevron made one of Venezuela’s biggest oil discoveries, the Boscan field, joining Exxon and Shell as operators in what was then the world’s second-biggest producer, delivering 15% of global oil supply that year. Then, in 1976, Venezuela carried out a nationalization of its oil industry amid a wider move by oil-rich countries to take control of their natural resources. Chevron lost its prized Boscan field; Exxon and Shell lost even more.
In the 1990s, Venezuela invited oil companies back. Many returned, with Chevron going on to invest billions of dollars to develop the tar oil region in eastern Venezuela that makes the country the largest holder of oil reserves. Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, launched another nationalization campaign in the mid-2000s, forcing big oil corporations to accept a lower share of profits or have their properties seized. “Massive oil infrastructure was taken like we were babies, and we didn’t do anything about it,” Trump told reporters following Maduro’s capture.
Chevron Corp. is the only big US company that decided to stay. Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips left; US oil companies still have outstanding arbitration awards worth billions. “For oil companies, the safest environment in which they could invest is when and if Venezuela has a democratic, stable, market-friendly and pro-Western government,” says Jimena Zuniga, an analyst at Bloomberg Economics. “There’s no better motivation for companies than when they have a high-reward and low-risk opportunity.”
A demonstration in support of Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 4.Photographer: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images
Asked about plans for Venezuela, a spokesperson for ConocoPhillips says it’s “monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability” but that “it would be premature to speculate on any future business activities or investments.” Exxon declined to comment. Chevron declined to comment on whether it planned to boost its investments in the country, noting that it’s “focused on the safety and well-being of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets.” According to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, US oil companies are evaluating what role they might play in Venezuela. “They’re not going to sit on their hands,” Wright said on Fox Business Network.