Overview
- Chris Wright is set to become the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit Venezuela since Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
- The trip will include meetings with government officials and PDVSA leadership focused on professionalizing operations and improving oil flows.
- Wright says potential changes in PDVSA management will be a subject of dialogue and plans field visits to assess on-the-ground conditions.
- President Donald Trump has promoted rebuilding Venezuela’s oil industry for U.S. consumers, and the administration has discussed controlling heavy crude sales and targeting roughly a 50% production increase within 12 to 18 months.
- Industry leaders, including Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods, remain skeptical about investing given Venezuela’s instability and operational uncertainties.