The pledge would be aimed at setting a realistic initial goal for accelerating the nation’s output, while preempting demands by Trump for the companies to make massive new investments in rebuilding Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.
But the promise to hit that mark would come with a set of conditions: The US would first need to lift key sanctions that have suppressed Venezuela’s production, as well as provide some of the supplies necessary to move the nation’s heavier crude oil.
“A few hundred thousand barrels a day increase in a year or so, given very positive conditions above ground, is reasonable,” said one person familiar with the private industry discussions. “You could squeeze out some more oil if you have the sanctions approval to do it.”
The proposal the executives are discussing comes as they scramble to gameplan for Friday’s high-stakes meeting with Trump, where the president is widely expected to push oil companies to quickly return to Venezuela.
Sweet_Concept2211 on
>Some executives have suggested trying to sidestep the question by citing antitrust rules and other concerns about making financial decisions in front of competitors, the people familiar said. Yet they’ve also sought more measured commitments that the industry can make, in hopes of pleasing Trump and heading off the risk of a confrontation.
>**“It’s, how do we say, ‘Yes, but,’” the first person familiar with the discussions said, comparing the meeting to a game of dodgeball. “These guys are lined up and Trump’s going to start throwing balls at them. And they’re wondering how they’re going to duck.”**
Yo, I call bullshit.
Since when does the US President have the fucking legal power to force private industry to invest in *Venezuela*?
This is oil execs fishing for US taxpayers to foot their bills.
BrtFrkwr on
Oil business isn’t too crazy about Venezuelan oil anyway. It’s thick, low-grade high sulfur crude that is expensive to refine.
3 Comments
[Top energy executives are weighing](https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/08/politics/oil-executives-trump-venezuela-meeting?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=missions&utm_source=reddit) telling President Donald Trump that the industry can increase Venezuela’s oil output by hundreds of thousands of barrels per day over the coming months, people familiar with the preparations for Friday’s White House meeting told CNN.
The pledge would be aimed at setting a realistic initial goal for accelerating the nation’s output, while preempting demands by Trump for the companies to make massive new investments in rebuilding Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.
But the promise to hit that mark would come with a set of conditions: The US would first need to lift key sanctions that have suppressed Venezuela’s production, as well as provide some of the supplies necessary to move the nation’s heavier crude oil.
“A few hundred thousand barrels a day increase in a year or so, given very positive conditions above ground, is reasonable,” said one person familiar with the private industry discussions. “You could squeeze out some more oil if you have the sanctions approval to do it.”
The proposal the executives are discussing comes as they scramble to gameplan for Friday’s high-stakes meeting with Trump, where the president is widely expected to push oil companies to quickly return to Venezuela.
>Some executives have suggested trying to sidestep the question by citing antitrust rules and other concerns about making financial decisions in front of competitors, the people familiar said. Yet they’ve also sought more measured commitments that the industry can make, in hopes of pleasing Trump and heading off the risk of a confrontation.
>**“It’s, how do we say, ‘Yes, but,’” the first person familiar with the discussions said, comparing the meeting to a game of dodgeball. “These guys are lined up and Trump’s going to start throwing balls at them. And they’re wondering how they’re going to duck.”**
Yo, I call bullshit.
Since when does the US President have the fucking legal power to force private industry to invest in *Venezuela*?
This is oil execs fishing for US taxpayers to foot their bills.
Oil business isn’t too crazy about Venezuelan oil anyway. It’s thick, low-grade high sulfur crude that is expensive to refine.