Chevron Leads Rally in U.S. Energy Stocks on Renewed Venezuela Oil Hopes

Written by Sandra Leggero

Sandra Leggero has a background in financial markets, having spent more than 9 years in commodities trading for several European and Asian companies. She holds a degree in Economics from the University of Pavia and specializes in emerging markets.

, | Updated: January 5, 2026

Key Moments

Chevron shares advanced 7.3% in premarket trading as investors reacted to U.S. policy signals on Venezuela.
U.S. refiners Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum, Valero Energy and PBF Energy gained between 5% and 16% in early moves.
Analysts warned that any substantial rebound in Venezuelan oil production would likely take time despite rising optimism.

Pre-market Rally in U.S. Oil Majors and Refiners

Jan 5 (Reuters) – Shares of U.S. energy companies climbed in premarket trading on Monday after investors interpreted President Donald Trump’s latest comments on Venezuela as a sign that American firms could secure expanded access to the country’s vast oil reserves.

Chevron, the only U.S. major currently operating in Venezuelan oil fields, saw its stock rise 7.3%. Refining companies Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum, Valero Energy and PBF Energy all traded higher, with gains ranging from 5% to 16%.

Company	Segment	Premarket share move
Chevron	Integrated oil major	+7.3%
Phillips 66	Refiner	Between 5% and 16% (refiner group range)
Marathon Petroleum	Refiner	Between 5% and 16% (refiner group range)
Valero Energy	Refiner	Between 5% and 16% (refiner group range)
PBF Energy	Refiner	Between 5% and 16% (refiner group range)

Trump Comments Fuel Expectations of Policy Shift

The share price reaction followed remarks from Trump that heightened expectations of a potential easing of U.S. restrictions on Venezuelan crude exports after the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump said the United States needed “total access” to Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves, a statement that market participants viewed as signaling possible changes to existing constraints on American involvement in the country’s energy sector.

Trump added on Saturday: “We’re going to have our very large U.S. oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”

🇺🇸 7 US Energy Stocks Likely To Benefit From Venezuela Oil Takeover:
• $CVX | Chevron
• $XOM | ExxonMobil
• $COP | ConocoPhillips
• $HAL | Halliburton
• $SLB | Schlumberger
• $VLO | Valero Energy
• $MPC | Marathon Petroleum pic.twitter.com/iezwv7UsJT
— Jesse Cohen (@JesseCohenInv) January 3, 2026

Venezuelan Output Slide and Crude Characteristics

Venezuela was producing as much as 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in the 1970s, representing more than 7% of global output at that time.

Output later fell below 2 million bpd in the 2010s and averaged about 1.1 million bpd last year, or roughly 1% of global supply, following years of limited investment and sanctions.

Venezuelan crude is described as a heavy sour oil with elevated sulfur content. It is well suited for the production of diesel and heavier fuels, though typically at thinner margins than other crude varieties, especially some grades from the Middle East.

“This type of crude aligns well with the configuration of U.S. Gulf Coast refineries which were historically designed to process such grades,” said Ahmad Assiri, research strategist at Pepperstone.

Chevron and U.S. Refiners Seen as Early Winners

Chevron’s ongoing operations in Venezuela under a U.S. waiver have given the company a head start relative to peers, positioning it as a potential primary beneficiary if U.S. policy were to loosen.

Refiners stand to benefit from increased access to heavy crude supplies sourced closer to the U.S. Gulf Coast, which could improve feedstock availability for facilities optimized for such oil.

Analysts Warn of Slow Recovery Path

Despite the rally in energy shares and growing expectations around policy changes, analysts emphasized that any significant rebound in Venezuelan oil production would not be immediate.

They highlighted political uncertainty, deteriorated infrastructure and a prolonged period of underinvestment as key obstacles that could slow any substantial recovery in the country’s output, even if access for U.S. companies improves.