Venezuela to join G20 energy meetings in Houston amid oil-price shock
A Venezuelan delegation is due to take part in G20 energy talks in Houston this week, as global oil and gas markets remain under pressure from war-related disruption in the Middle East. The meetings are being held in Texas, a major centre of the US energy industry, and are scheduled to continue through Wednesday. US officials said the gathering will include representatives of G20 countries as well as Venezuela.
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Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the talks reflect a shift in the global energy balance and the growing importance of supply outside the Middle East. He said the aim was to move some of the geopolitical focus on oil toward the western hemisphere. Energy Secretary Chris Wright is also expected to attend from the US side, while Venezuelan oil minister Paula Henao and Jovanny Martinez, vice president of the state-run PDVSA oil company, are reported to be among the Venezuelan participants.
The meetings come as Europe tries to replenish gas storage ahead of winter and as fuel prices remain elevated in the United States. The American Automobile Association has said the average price of diesel in the US has reached a record high of $6.20 a gallon. The talks also come after the Trump administration announced a deal with Venezuela on 28 August that it said would give the United States majority control of 65 billion barrels of proven petroleum reserves.
The participation of Venezuelan officials is significant because it points to a broader effort by Washington and Caracas to deepen energy engagement. Burgum's office said the two sides are expanding opportunities for US companies and pursuing additional energy deals in Venezuela. That is notable because Venezuela holds some of the world's largest proven oil reserves, but analysts have warned that any meaningful rise in output would take years.
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The Houston meeting also brings together major economies including China, India, Japan and Germany, alongside major producers such as Canada and Saudi Arabia. That mix underlines how energy security has become a wider diplomatic issue, not just a market question. It also shows how the war in the Middle East is affecting policy discussions far beyond the region itself.
What remains unclear is how far the talks will go in turning political engagement into higher Venezuelan production or new commercial arrangements. It is also not clear what specific outcomes the participants will announce by the end of the meetings. The main point to watch is whether the Houston discussions produce any concrete steps on supply, investment or sanctions-related cooperation.
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