When US President Donald Trump floated the idea of Washington receiving millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela, it sounded like a throwback to an older energy playbook: pump more oil, cut fuel prices, make voters happy. The reality is far messier.
What is being proposed?
The plan being discussed involves the US receiving 30–50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, alongside American investment to help revive Venezuela’s oil production. That oil would then be sold on global markets, adding supply and, in theory, keeping prices low.The timing matters. Oil prices are already under pressure globally, and petrol prices have eased after years of inflation-driven pain. The Venezuela pitch is being sold as a way to lock that relief in.
Why Venezuela still matters
Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world. On paper, it should be an energy superpower. In practice, years of mismanagement, sanctions, and infrastructure collapse have hollowed out its industry.The state oil company, PDVSA, has struggled to maintain wells, pipelines, and refineries. Skilled workers have fled. Equipment is outdated. Even modest production increases take time, money, and political stability, all of which are in short supply.
Does more Venezuelan oil mean cheaper fuel?
Not automatically. Oil prices are set globally, not bilaterally. Even tens of millions of barrels spread over months are small in a market that consumes roughly 100 million barrels a day worldwide. Venezuelan oil would add to supply at the margins, not overwhelm the system.Prices are already low largely because of global oversupply and cautious demand, including production decisions by OPEC. Venezuelan barrels might help keep prices soft, but they are unlikely to be the main driver.
The domestic cost for the US
Cheap petrol is good politics, but it comes with trade-offs.Lower oil prices squeeze US shale producers, many of whom operate close to break-even. Prolonged weakness risks layoffs, stalled drilling, and reduced investment in oil-heavy regions such as Texas and North Dakota.Unlike in the past, the US is now a major oil producer and exporter. That means falling prices no longer deliver an unambiguous economic win. Gains for consumers increasingly cancel out losses in the energy sector.
Can Venezuela actually deliver?
This is the biggest uncertainty. Venezuela has repeatedly overpromised and underdelivered on production targets. Power shortages, decaying infrastructure, regulatory uncertainty, and political risk remain structural obstacles. Any agreement is also vulnerable to sanctions enforcement, legal challenges, and shifts in US or Venezuelan politics.
A macaw stands on a decorative oil drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Even with fresh investment, Venezuela cannot rapidly ramp up production at a scale that reshapes global markets.
The takeaway
Venezuela may help keep oil markets loose at the edges, but it is not a magic lever for cheap gas. Fuel prices today are low because of global dynamics, not because Caracas is back as an energy heavyweight.For consumers, relief may last. For US oil producers, pressure is building. And for Venezuela, the promise of an oil-fuelled revival remains far more aspirational than assured.