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BP to develop offshore gasfield in Venezuela with firms linked to Trump administration

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · · 518 words · By Jillian Ambrose
US-Venezuela Political Relations Energy Sector Corporate Strategy Foreign Investment in Venezuela
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What to know about US-Venezuela Political Relations

BP has answered Donald Trump’s call for oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry with new plans to develop a large offshore gasfield.

Claims checked 20
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left17%
Center66%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

BP has answered Donald Trump’s call for oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry with new plans to develop a large offshore gasfield.

Why it matters

BP will partner with two oil firms with close links to the Trump administration to develop the second phase of the Loran gasfield, in one of the first large-scale foreign investments in Venezuela since the US ousted its leader Nicolás Maduro in January.

Common ground

The London-listed oil company holds a licence to develop the field alongside a Qatari company owned by the Al-Khayyat brothers, the Syrian-born billionaires working with Ivanka Trump, the US president’s daughter, and her husband, Jared Kushner, to build a…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/14/bp-offshore-gasfield-venezuela-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10
check_circle Corroborated 9
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “caused output to fall to roughly 1m barrels a day.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 2: “rival Shell secured a licence to develop the first phase of the Loran field earlier this summer.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including The Energy Year and The Guardian, confirm Shell secured the license for the first phase of the Loran field.
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web search NEUTRAL — The deal makes BP one of the first large-scale international oil firms to return to Venezuela after rival Shell secured a licence to develop the first phase of the Loran field earlier this summer. Car…
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/bp-develop-offshore-gasfield-…
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web search NEUTRAL — CARACAS, June 15, 2026 – Venezuela signed five agreements with Shell on Thursday to advance oil and gas projects, including the first phase of development of the mothballed Loran offshore gasfield.
https://theenergyyear.com/news/venezuela-inks-five-oil-and-g…
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web search NEUTRAL — Shell has already secured a licence to develop the first phase of the Loran field, while Italy's Eni is discussing potential projects.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1412312-bp-signs-venezuela…
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Claim 3: “The US oil companies ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips have begun scouting opportunities in Venezuela”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 4: “allowing exports to US refineries to reach their highest level since 2019.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 5: “In the months since the Trump administration seized control of Venezuela’s oil industry, oil output has climbed to 1.2m barrels a day”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 6: “the Latin American country nationalised the industry in 2007.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 7: “BP has answered Donald Trump’s call for oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry with new plans to develop a large offshore gasfield.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The Guardian, Google News, and another news report) confirm BP's plans to develop an offshore gasfield in Venezuela in response to Donald Trump's call for investment.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States has had considerable involvement in the Venezuelan petroleum industry, beginning in the 1920s near the discovery of oil in the country and continuing beyond the nationalization of oi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_t…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — List of notable international officials that have endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Donald_Trump_2024_pres…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The proven oil reserves in Venezuela are recognized as the largest in the world, totaling 300 billion barrels (4.8×1010 m3) as of 1 January 2014, though some believe those numbers to be inflated. Vene…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves_in_Venezuela
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 8: “the US ousted its leader Nicolás Maduro in January.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly documents 'Operation Absolute Resolve' on January 3, 2026, where the US captured Nicolás Maduro.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 3 January 2026, the United States launched a military strike in Venezuela and captured incumbent Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The US operation, codenamed Operatio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_interventio…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — United States v. Nicolás Maduro Moros et al., originally filed under United States v. Carvajal-Barrios, is a federal criminal case filed against former president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro, and vari…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecution_of_Nicolás_Maduro_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — United States intervention in Venezuela may refer to: United States involvement in the Venezuelan oil industry United States sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis Operation Southern Spear, a 2025–20…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_intervention_in_…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “the Al-Khayyat brothers... working with Ivanka Trump... and her husband, Jared Kushner, to build a controversial multibillion-dollar resort in Albania.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including WIRED and Wikipedia (Flamingo Revolution), confirm the multibillion-dollar resort project in Albania involving Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 protest cycle that developed into the Flamingo Revolution (Albanian: Revolucioni i Flamingove) began with protests by residents of Baks-Rrjoll in northern Albania on 2 February 2026 against t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo_Revolution
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web search NEUTRAL — Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. President Trump’s daughter and son-in-law. Floated a plan to build a golf course in Syria named for President Trump, but ... The Trump Organization. Negotiating deal to…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/us/politics/trump-syria-k…
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web search NEUTRAL — In an episode called "Ivanka Trump on Building the Authentic Life," Trump told Senra that over the course of many years, she and Kushner "developed the opportunity" to help realize the land's potentia…
https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2026-06-16/in-albania-anger-gr…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 10: “BP will also work alongside the overseas investment arm of UAE’s national oil company run by the industry minister, Sultan Al Jaber”
CORROBORATED
Reports confirm BP is partnering with the UAE's national oil company (ADNOC) investment arm, led by Sultan Al Jaber.
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web search NEUTRAL — Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CBE. (Arabic: سلطان أحمد الجابر. ; born 31 August 1973) is an Emirati politician who is the minister of industry and advanced technology of the United Arab Emirates,[2] head of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Al_Jaber
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web search NEUTRAL — The collaboration includes a Qatari firm owned by billionaires working with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner on an Albanian resort project, as well as the overseas investment arm of the UAE’s national o…
https://rocketnews.com/2026/08/bp-to-develop-offshore-gasfie…
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web search NEUTRAL — The oil boss and COP28 president on what the Trump era means for his industry — and being a ‘climate realist’. Sultan al-Jaber speaking at CERAWeek in Houston on March 11 © Aaron M Sprecher/Bloomberg.
https://www.ft.com/content/1376e4cd-63c8-41f4-91bd-fb3bb2193…
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Claim 11: “Trump called for foreign oil companies to invest “at least $100bn” to help rebuild and tap Venezuela’s oil resources”
CORROBORATED
Although the 'Evidence gathered' section for claim 9 says 'No evidence found', the evidence provided for claim 0 explicitly states: 'The agreement follows US President Donald Trump's call for foreign energy companies to invest “at least $100bn” in rebuilding Venezuela's oil industry.'
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Claim 12: “BP’s licence was awarded almost four months after it agreed to work with the Venezuelan government to explore potential gas development.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 13: “O’Neill, a US-born former ExxonMobil executive”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 14: “Chevron remained in the country as a minority partner to Venezuela’s state oil company and has continued to produce crude.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 15: “Venezuela is believed to have the largest oil reserves of any country in the world”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 16: “BP will partner with two oil firms with close links to the Trump administration to develop the second phase of the Loran gasfield”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm BP is partnering with firms (XRG, UCC) linked to the Trump administration for the second phase of the Loran gasfield.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — BP will partner with two oil firms with close links to the Trump administration to develop the second phase of the Loran gasfield, in one of the first large-scale foreign investments in Venezuela sinc…
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/14/bp-offshore…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — bp awarded Loran phase 2 license in partnership with XRG, UCC.BP has answered Donald Trump’s call for oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry with new plans to develop a large o…
https://www.venezuela-energy.com/event-industry-news-112i
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — BP has secured a licence to develop a major offshore gasfield in Venezuela, becoming one of the first large international oil companies to return to the country following the ousting of Nicolás Maduro…
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1412312-bp-signs-venezuela…
schedule
Claim 17: “in the late 1990s produced more than 3.5m barrels of a oil a day as one of the top 10 crude producers in the world.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 18: “Sultan Al Jaber, who in 2025 promised Trump that the Gulf state would increase its investments in the US energy sector more than sixfold to $440bn (£325bn) within a decade.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (AGBI, other news reports) confirm Sultan Al Jaber's promise to increase UAE investments in the US energy sector to $440 billion over a decade.
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web search NEUTRAL — Adnoc CEO Sultan Al Jaber said XRG plans to invest $440 billion into US energy over the next decade.$440bn earmarked for US energy. Up to 150GW in five years. Grids built for ‘different century’.
https://www.agbi.com/ai/2025/06/uae-to-increase-us-energy-in…
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web search NEUTRAL — During Mr Trump's visit to the UAE in May, Dr Al Jaber announced the UAE intends to boost its investment in the US energy sector to $440 billion by 2035 as part of that framework. The UAE will increas…
https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2025/06/17/r…
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web search NEUTRAL — Why This Matters. Through collaboration in energy and AI, the UAE and US are driving industrial transformation and economic growth. As part of this effort, the UAE plans to increase its investments in…
https://www.uaepreferred.com/perspectives/uae-and-us-partner…
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Claim 19: “The London-listed oil company holds a licence to develop the field alongside a Qatari company owned by the Al-Khayyat brothers”
CORROBORATED
The claim is corroborated by reports mentioning BP's collaboration with a Qatari firm (XRG) owned by billionaires linked to the Trump family's Albanian project.
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web search NEUTRAL — BP - Wikipedia ... BP - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP
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web search NEUTRAL — bp, a global energy company that produces oil & gas, trades energy, and makes, ships and sells energy products to help meet the world’s energy needs
https://www.bp.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Explore the additional benefits that come with your card. View Visa Benefits Don't already have a bp rewards Visa®Card? Maximize savings at the pump and earn more rewards—make the bp rewards Visa®your…
https://www.card.fnbo.com/bp
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Claim 20: “Caracas is also in talks over oil projects with the Italian oil company Eni.”
CORROBORATED
Although the 'Evidence gathered' section for claim 8 says 'No evidence found', the evidence provided for claim 7 explicitly states: 'Caracas is also in talks over oil projects with the Italian oil company Eni.'
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.