LatinNews Daily - 20 August 2026

*Venezuela’s hydrocarbons minister, Paula Henao, has signed two agreements with international firms at the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy (Image) conference in Houston, Texas, which is taking place from 17-20 August. The first agreement, signed with US-headquartered oil firm Hunt, is a “productive participation contract” which is “focused on the operational recovery and optimisation of two fields”, according to the hydrocarbons ministry. The other contract, signed with multinational oilfield services company SLB (formerly Schlumberger), is “focused on the provision of technical assistance services and the integration of studies for a comprehensive characterisation of the country’s productive areas”. During the conference, Henao said that Venezuela is working “hand in hand” with the US Department of Energy to grow the country’s oil sector. Referring to an overhaul of Venezuela’s hydrocarbons legislation in January, the ministry’s statement said that “the magnitude of national hydrocarbon resources” is now complemented by “the solidity of the current legal framework to bring legal certainty for international investment”.