Crude oil prices continued to fall on Tuesday, with WTI trading just above $75 and Brent slipping below $80.
Concerns about Chinese demand continue to drag prices lower, with expectations of China’s manufacturing activity shrinking for a third month in a row.
In some bullish news, Venezuela’s election results could lead to tighter US sanctions and lower oil supply.
Venezuela has granted two Chinese companies, Anhui Erhuan Petroleum Group and Kerui Petroleum, oil production contracts in the Acema, Oritupano-Leona and Mata fields and in the Ayacucho 2 block in the Orinoco Belt, sources related to the negotiations said July 25.
Venezuela on Wednesday granted a 20-year license to British energy producer BP and state-owned National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) to develop the Venezuelan side of a natural gas field that extends into the Caribbean country’s waters.
Indian oil refiner Reliance Industries has resubmitted a request to the U.S. for an authorization to import crude oil from sanctioned Venezuela, three people close to the matter said, and resume oil trade between the OPEC producer and the once second-largest destination for its oil.
Spanish oil major Repsol SA expects production to climb with the addition of two oil fields in a joint venture with Venezuela, where the company is exempt from reimposed US sanctions.
A Swiss subsidiary of Polish state energy giant Orlen has revealed details of the roughly $400 million (1.6 billion zloty) it lost on prepayments made without collateral under the firm’s previous management for Venezuelan crude oil and petroleum products that were never delivered.
Over the last decade, the US has become the top producer of crude oil globally, thanks in part to hydraulic fracturing in shale formations.
The US overtook Saudi Arabia and Russia in oil production in 2018, accounting for 14.7% of global crude oil production in 2022.
Despite leading in production, the US still trails in remaining proven reserves underground, ranking seventh globally behind countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
Exxon Mobil Corp. has outlined its intention to proceed with the drilling of two exploration wells offshore Guyana within the current year, despite the proximity of these drilling sites to a region that is subject to dispute with Venezuela. The oil conglomerate is poised to conduct drilling operations west of the Liza field, an area already yielding oil, and situated closer to the border shared with Venezuela. Notably, Exxon Mobil asserts that the ongoing territorial dispute does not impede its plans for exploration and drilling activities in the region.
HOUSTON/CARACAS (Reuters) – A reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sectors would hurt the OPEC country’s ability to collect cash from its oil exports, crimp new energy investments and raise the risks of domestic fuel scarcity, analysts and executives said.
Guyana, a tiny South American nation home to more than 800,000 people, made big headlines in December.
The reason? Its neighboring country, Venezuela.