The Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector by granting Chevron a specific OFAC license to expand operations represents a cautious recalibration of US policy. Unlike past general licenses, this narrower authorization signals a more tailored approach that could eventually open pathways for other companies such as Eni, Repsol, or Reliance. At the same time, the White House is pursuing a dual strategy: loosening restrictions on oil flows while intensifying pressure on Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro himself. In a recent development, the US last week deployed three missile destroyers to international waters outside Venezuela to support counter-narcotics efforts, adding to earlier moves including a four-count superseding indictment against Maduro in the Southern District of New York for alleged narco-terrorism and a standing $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
For Chevron, the license is meaningful. Production could rise by about 250,000 barrels per day – a modest contribution in global terms, representing roughly 10% of the recent OPEC+ unwind and far too small to move Brent crude oil prices. Yet for Chevron’s portfolio, the impact is substantial, equating to more than 10% of its current oil-only output. Its US Gulf Coast refineries, especially Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Pasadena, Texas, are positioned to benefit directly from discounted Venezuelan heavy crude. The return of this feedstock would ease some of the pressure created by years of relying on Canadian, Mexican, and US offshore grades.
Refiners, particularly on the US Gulf Coast, are likely to welcome the reintroduction of Venezuelan heavy barrels. With global markets saturated in light sweet crude, the Orinoco Belt’s heavier grades provide much-needed diversity. While volumes in the range of 200,000–400,000 bpd will not disrupt benchmarks like Brent or WTI, they could narrow the light-heavy differential and bring down premiums for grades such as Maya or Mars, which have climbed since sanctions were imposed. In this sense, Venezuelan supply may not reshape the global market but will provide relief in a crucial, tight niche.
For PDVSA, the implications are equally important but tempered by reality. Years of mismanagement, alleged corruption, and sanctions have hollowed out the company’s operational capacity. Infrastructure is degraded, technical expertise has fled, and institutional opacity persists. Chevron’s presence – bringing capital, technical know-how, and operational discipline – offers PDVSA a lifeline. Even if the company is unlikely to revert to the traditional tax and royalty regimes of the past, renewed joint-venture activity would still inject much-needed momentum into the upstream sector. Yet a true return to pre-sanctions output levels remains improbable without broader systemic reform.
The easing of sanctions also signals a strategic adjustment in Washington. The earlier “maximum pressure” doctrine aimed at isolating Maduro has given way to a more transactional approach, one that recognizes the Chavista government’s staying power in the presidential Miraflores Palace. By carving out space for limited corporate engagement, the US is acknowledging the futility of total isolation while keeping political pressure intact. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a public reminder of Maduro’s indictment as recently as last month, underlining how narrow the opening really is.
Looking ahead, much depends on whether Chevron’s specific license is expanded, replicated for other companies, or allowed to lapse. For Chevron, it is a symbolic and material victory, enhancing both production volumes and refining economics. For PDVSA, it is a fragile chance to reestablish relevance in global markets, though the recovery will remain incremental. And for US policymakers, it is an experiment in balancing energy security with political leverage – offering relief to refiners while reminding Maduro that Washington’s patience is finite.
Venezuelan barrels alone will not shift the balance of global oil markets, but they could quietly rebalance a segment where scarcity is most acute. That, coupled with Chevron’s ability to execute, ensures this opening, however narrow, will be watched closely across the industry.
By W. Schreiner Parker, Head of Emerging Markets & NOCs at Rystad Energy
