
Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez met on Monday in Caracas with representatives of oil companies including Repsol, Chevron and Shell to discuss a hydrocarbons law reform now moving through the National Assembly, as her government seeks to attract private and foreign investment. The meeting took place at PDVSA facilities and forms part of a mandatory public consultation phase after the bill cleared its first legislative debate.

Brazil has positioned itself as a strategic player in the global competition for critical minerals such as graphite, nickel, and niobium, which are essential for clean energy technologies, batteries, and defense systems. Both the United States and the European Union have stepped up diplomatic and commercial engagement with Brasília to secure supply deals and cooperation in value chains considered vital for the energy transition and industrial security.

Argentina’s state-run oil company YPF and local producer Pluspetrol have agreed to a portfolio swap aimed at reshaping their positions in the Vaca Muerta shale play and strengthening supply for YPF’s flagship liquefied natural gas (LNG) export initiative.

Venezuela’s National Assembly has approved, in a first reading, a reform to the country’s Hydrocarbons Law that would expand private participation in crude production and marketing—an important shift from the long-running “mixed-company” model in which the state held majority stakes. The bill still requires a second reading before it can become law, EFE reported.

United States President Donald Trump said Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado could “maybe” be brought into the transition process “in some way,” marking a notable shift in tone as Washington balances political messaging with day-to-day coordination in Caracas following Nicolás Maduro’s capture on January 3, according to a Reuters report.

The BYD Changzhou car carrier docked on Monday at Terminal Zárate, in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province, and unloaded around 5,800 hybrid and electric vehicles shipped from China—described by local coverage as the largest single import landing of its kind in the country.

The free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) could help turn South America into a major player in the global market for critical minerals and rare earths, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said in an interview with EFE from Asunción.

The Falkland Islands elected Legislative Assembly has agreed a revised portfolio system for the 2025-2029 term. Following the December 2025 General Election, Members reviewed the structure to improve focus, and align related policy areas.

Eco (Atlantic) Oil &Gas Ltd, the Canadian exploration company focused on the offshore Atlantic Margins, announced that Navitas Petroleum LP (“Navitas”), with whom Eco signed a Framework

Argentina has reportedly put on hold its plan to relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem after diplomatic friction linked to offshore oil drilling near the Falkland Islands, Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported over the weekend.