The New York Times reports that Harold Hamm, founder of Continental Resources and a major figure in the U.S. shale industry, has struck a major oil deal with Venezuela. The agreement covers the extraction, refining, and U.S. export of Venezuelan heavy crude and could become a landmark commercial event in the normalization of U.S.–Venezuela relations.

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Hamm has long been a central figure in the U.S. energy industry and a close business and political ally of Donald Trump. The deal comes as Washington gradually eases energy-related sanctions on Caracas and is being read as a commercial response to that policy shift. Industry analysts say the agreement could deliver meaningful incremental crude to the U.S. market by 2027, but faces risks from Venezuela’s domestic political stability and international compliance.

Editor: GoodInfo Global News Desk