The stunning U.S. military operation that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has suddenly put the global oil world on high alert, and energy stocks in the spotlight. Venezuela isn’t just any oil nation. It sits on a jaw-dropping 303 billion barrels of proven crude reserves, roughly 17 % of the world’s total, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Considering that, investors are now busy trying to figure out which energy companies might cash in on drilling into that black gold onc ...

Group 1: U.S. Involvement in Venezuela's Oil Industry - President Trump pledged a U.S. return to Venezuela's oil industry, accusing the socialist government of seizing American energy assets and dismantling an industry built with U.S. investment [1] - Trump stated that Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil and assets, costing the U.S. billions of dollars [2] - U.S. energy companies are expected to play a central role in rebuilding Venezuela's oil sector, with Trump indicating that they would invest billions to fix the infrastructure [4] Group 2: Chevron's Position in Venezuela - Chevron is one of the few U.S. energy companies that negotiated to remain in Venezuela, operating as a minority partner under joint ventures with the state-run oil company PDVSA [6] - Chevron has been operating in Venezuela for roughly a century, but its production and export capabilities have been limited by U.S. sanctions and Treasury licenses [9] - The company remains focused on the safety of its employees and the integrity of its assets while complying with relevant laws and regulations [7] Group 3: Venezuela's Oil Reserves and Economic Challenges - Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 300 billion barrels, which is about 20% of the global total [9] - Despite its vast oil wealth, Venezuela's economy is crisis-stricken, and political instability has severely limited its ability to convert reserves into sustained production [10] - The situation in Venezuela reflects a paradox where immense oil reserves are hindered by years of underinvestment, deteriorating infrastructure, and political risk [14]