oil

U.S. asserts control over Venezuela’s oil ‘indefinitely’ after raid that seized Maduro; Caracas reports 100 dead WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said it will dictate decisions to Venezuela’s interim authorities and market the country’s oil “indefinitely” following a U.S. special forces raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, an escalation officials cast as part of what President Donald Trump has called the “Donroe Doctrine” of regional dominance. The claim of sweeping U.S. control — over a nation with…

U.S. forces have seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic for alleged sanctions violations tied to Venezuelan crude, capping a multiweek pursuit that unfolded under the eye of nearby Russian naval assets but ended without confrontation, U.S. officials said. U.S. European Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said the operation was conducted jointly with the Department of Homeland Security. The tanker evaded an earlier boarding attempt near Venezuela and was intercepted as it moved north in…

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Venezuela’s interim government will deliver up to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, with proceeds from the sale “controlled by me” as president to benefit people in both countries. He announced the move would be executed immediately by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “The Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that…

With Nicolas Maduro in U.S. custody after a pre-dawn raid and President Donald J. Trump touting a “Donroe Doctrine,” Washington has put a modern stamp on one of its oldest ideas: uncontested dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The operation in Venezuela, framed by the White House as a corrective to autocracy and a bid to unlock oil wealth, also signals an unapologetic return to sphere-of-influence politics—this time with China and Russia cast as the intruders to be pushed out. The White House’s case mixes moral clarity with…

U.S. forces “apprehended” an oil tanker off Venezuela early Wednesday, the latest move in a stepped-up pressure campaign against Caracas that has increasingly played out at sea. It was the second tanker interdicted in two weeks and follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a blockade targeting “sanctioned oil vessels” heading to and leaving Venezuela. “In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in…

Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela, escalating pressure campaign President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers heading to and from Venezuela, intensifying a months-long U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and sharpening Washington’s confrontation with President Nicolás Maduro’s government. “Today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social…

In a significant shakeup within Nigeria's petroleum regulatory landscape, President Bola Tinubu has replaced the heads of two pivotal agencies following the resignation of their chief executives. The changes affect the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), marking a notable turn in the country’s oil and gas governance. The resignations of Farouk Ahmed, head of NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, head of NUPRC, come in the wake…

Trump orders blockade of ‘sanctioned oil tankers’ bound for Venezuela, escalating standoff with Maduro WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered what he called a “total and complete blockade” of all “sanctioned oil tankers” going into and out of Venezuela, a sweeping move that intensifies U.S. pressure on Nicolás Maduro and raises fresh legal and military questions about enforcement in the Caribbean. The announcement, delivered in a late-night social media post, came days after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker…

Monday December 15, 2025 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Drilling for crude oil in North Western State of Somalia is expected to begin by 2027, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro said Monday, outlining what officials describe as a long-awaited step toward potential production after years of exploration and delays. Speaking at the North Western State of Somalia Mining Expo in Hargeisa, Irro said the first well could be spudded within two years, with the timeline pulling forward if technical and contractual…