The enormous investments that the US and Venezuela have promised from their new oil production deal have brought cautious optimism that Venezuelans face a new period of prosperity after more than a decade of economic and social turmoil.

Chevron, the only U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela, said it has received additional land in the Orinoco Belt region and plans to double its oil production.

Oil trading is becoming more accessible to individual investors as smaller futures contracts, ETFs and online brokerages lower longtime barriers to the market.

What could keep US energy majors from investing in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves? Explore how political, legal and financial risks could shape investment decisions and the sector’s outlook.

U.S. and international crude oil futures skidded to their lowest levels in more than a year after the influential oil producing group cut its 2024 outlook, citing weakness in Chinese demand.

The Trump administration’s deal with a private oil company to increase oil production in the South American country could take many years to come to fruition.

Chevron is expanding its Venezuela oil operations with more than $7 billion in planned investment and new acreage as it targets sharply higher production.

The energy industry has long opposed government intervention, and some executives are worried the U.S. is creating a giant with the ability to push them around.