Trump says the U.S. now controls 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil. Will Washington name the venture's private partners by Sept 12?
68% of users predicted NO — the community missed this one. 22 predictions cast.
Days after President Trump announced a U.S.-Venezuela oil venture built around an estimated 65 billion barrels of reserves, the White House and news outlets named the arrangement's private partner in early September 2026. NPR reported on September 1 that the partner is North American Blue Energy Partners, a Barbados-based company owned by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, which received concessions to 17 Venezuelan oilfields; the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital holds a 35% equity stake in the venture at no cost to taxpayers. Separately, Chevron announced around September 2 that it would invest more than $7 billion over five years to more than double its Venezuela production to about 600,000 barrels a day.
The details emerged after press and congressional pressure for specifics following Trump's initial, vaguer announcement of the deal.
The prediction-market community had put only 32% odds on Washington naming the venture's private partners by September 12, and the majority view was wrong: the partner was identified, and a major existing operator, Chevron, confirmed an expanded role, both within the deadline.