
Venezuela’s proposed hydrocarbons law overhaul is under intense legislative scrutiny, with more than 80 amendments submitted by lawmakers, legal experts and energy sector associations ahead of a planned final vote, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The United States is preparing a general licence to ease sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector, aiming to facilitate an estimated $2 billion oil supply deal between Caracas and Washington, U.S. government sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The move is part of a strategic shift in U.S. policy after the Jan. 3 capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.

Viridien (CGG Services) has told Uruguay’s Environment Ministry it aims to begin offshore seismic exploration in February, after submitting the environmental management plan required by the National Directorate for Environmental Quality and Assessment (Dinacea) as a precondition to operate in Uruguayan waters, according to local media reporting.

James Ellsmoor is an award-winning entrepreneur, writer, and CEO of Island Innovation, widely recognized for his work on sustainable development, renewable energy, and island economic resilience, and will be giving a presentation in the Falkland Islands.

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.