2026-01-11 11:26:53

Recently, the White House held an energy industry meeting, and the atmosphere was quite delicate. Trump proposed an investment plan to ExxonMobil and other oil giants: the first phase involves a $100 billion investment to enhance Venezuela's oil production capacity, followed by a second phase of an additional $50 billion to strengthen transportation and refining infrastructure. The entire project has an estimated return on investment cycle of about 15 years.

It sounds ambitious, but the reaction from the oil companies was surprising—several giants expressed no interest in participating. This made Trump somewhat dissatisfied. He pointed out that since 2017, these oil companies have been constantly complaining to him that the political situation in Venezuela has harmed their business interests. Now that the situation has changed, they suddenly back out.

The logic of the oil companies is actually straightforward: no matter how much capacity is increased, without stable large buyers, this $150 billion investment becomes a hot potato. Who will take over these capacities? Where is the market demand? It’s impossible to truly invest in a geopolitically risky region just for poverty alleviation. Their conclusion is—if infrastructure investment is to be made, it should be led by the government, with commercial companies only responsible for normal business operations. The meeting ultimately ended on an unhappy note, reflecting the gap between policy intentions and market realities.

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MaticHoleFiller

· 01-12 08:07

150 billion invested for 15 years to break even? Oil giants are not philanthropists, who’s foolish enough to take on this deal? --- It's that same logic of "you complained before, now the opportunity is here but you won't do it," but who bears the risk? --- Basically, the government wants to pass the buck to companies, but companies have been burned before and won't fall for it; everyone does their own thing. --- In Venezuela, with such high risks and no guaranteed sales channels, why would anyone want to touch this minefield? --- This is the gap between reality and ideals; policymakers never realize how shrewd businessmen can be.

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SigmaBrain

· 01-11 11:56

150 billion invested for 15 years to break even? Oil companies are not charities, this deal looks like a loss In the situation in Venezuela, who dares to invest real money Trump: I give you a chance | Oil giant: Thank you, I decline Ultimately, it's the government that wants to make money, companies are afraid of risks, each doing their own thing This is the true moment of capitalism...

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FUD_Vaccinated

· 01-11 11:36

150 billion thrown into Venezuela? This isn't investment, it's gambling. Plus a 15-year return cycle—laughable. Oil giants are being clever. With such high political risks, who dares to take over? It's the same old story: the government is wishful thinking, while companies are calculating on their own. What sounds like infrastructure is actually just throwing money into a black hole with a high chance of failure. Trump is daydreaming. Does he really expect others to willingly shell out money? Without stable buyers, there's no capacity to use. Why do I have to keep explaining such simple logic? High geopolitical risks and still pouring in? You must be a serious gambler. So in the end, the government takes over. It's wise for private enterprises to wash their hands of it. The gap between policy and reality is always this big.

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FreeMinter

· 01-11 11:35

Haha Petroleum Company, this wave of realism is truly impressive. The promised business partner, as soon as it comes to spending real money, starts shifting the blame to the government.

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BearMarketMonk

· 01-11 11:31

Policy imagination can never catch up with market reality 1.5 trillion thrown in - who's going to take over the position? That's why the smartest move for big capital isn't saying YES, it's staying silent 15-year payback cycle... just listen and move on Oil giants are actually teaching Trump an ancient lesson: risk premium has no upper limit, but losses are very real reminds me of that wave in 2008, how many people got trapped by "ambitious" plans Market logic never lies - policy intentions are the greatest illusion

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WalletAnxietyPatient

· 01-11 11:30

Laughing out loud, where's the promised merchant spirit? They immediately shift the blame to the government.

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LayoffMiner

· 01-11 11:27

The $150 billion hot potato, whoever takes it loses. Oil giants are being clever. The big shots claim to be in pain, but when there's a real opportunity, they hide. That's reality. Venezuela's hole can never be filled. When the government tries to force it, the market turns away. An eternal contradiction. Having a lot of money isn't the problem; the problem is where to invest to get a return. Another old story of "I want you to do it, but you don't want to." 15-year return cycle? Laughable, no one dares to take this deal.

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