Why Venezuela's Oil Won't Matter and Why Heavy Crude Is First Off the Market

07 Jan 2026 | Abstracted from CleanTechnica

Venezuela's vast oil reserves don't matter for prices, U.S. energy security, or decarbonization because most of its crude is extra‑heavy, costly, slow to produce, and requires huge capital that investors won't provide. Heavy crude demand is shrinking as diesel declines. Even if revived, Venezuelan oil would only displace other heavy barrels at a few Gulf Coast refineries, not change global trends.

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