US threat of sanctions on Venezuela oil boosts price
Venezuela’s Juan Guaido declared himself interim president on Wednesday, winning backing from the US and parts of Latin America
London — Oil rose on Thursday, shaking off persistent concern about the outlook for demand after the US government said it could impose sanctions on Opec member Venezuela's crude exports. Venezuela's opposition leader, Juan Guaido, declared himself interim president on Wednesday, winning backing from Washington and parts of Latin America and prompting socialist Nicolas Maduro, the country's leader since 2013, to break relations with the US. Economic crisis under Maduro has decimated Venezuela's oil industry, cutting its crude output to near 70-year lows of about 1.2-million barrels per day (bpd), from double that three years ago. Venezuela's oil is predominantly heavy crude, which requires extensive refining, and as such, is frequently blended with lighter crudes to give refiners higher-value products. With Iran already crippled by US sanctions on its oil, a further drop in Venezuelan exports could squeeze global supply and rapidly push up prices. "The potential is that the US is st...
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