--- title: "US Energy Secretary Denies Stealing Venezuelan Oil" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-energy-secretary-denies-stealing-venezuelan-oil" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-energy-secretary-denies-stealing-venezuelan-oil" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-energy-secretary-denies-stealing-venezuelan-oil.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-energy-secretary-denies-stealing-venezuelan-oil" category: "Business & Economy" area: "Latin America" published: "2026-09-03T12:05:14.068Z" source_reported: "2026-09-03T09:37:02.185Z" updated: "2026-09-03T12:05:14.068Z" trust_score: 76 critic_score: 62 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-03T13:15:32.001636+00:00" --- # US Energy Secretary Denies Stealing Venezuelan Oil *Chris Wright confirms a revenue-sharing agreement for 20% of oil reserves.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 76 of 100, higher is better. Trust 76: many independent outlets and a named official quote provide corroborated facts and specific figures. - Craft 62 of 100, higher is better. Critic 62: clear facts and figures, but largely press‑release style lacking additional reporting or opposing voices. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30: headlines are dramatic but content remains measured and factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - US Energy Secretary Chris Wright denied claims that the United States intends to steal Venezuelan oil. - An agreement grants the US rights to exploit 20% of Venezuela's oil reserves. - President Donald Trump announced on August 28 that the US would receive over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil. - Wright stated that private companies provide capital for oil production, but profits and taxes return to Venezuela. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has denied accusations that Washington is seeking to steal Venezuelan oil. The comments follow an agreement that grants the United States rights to exploit 20% of Venezuela's oil reserves. President Donald Trump announced on August 28 that the United States would receive over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil as part of this arrangement. Wright stated that private companies are providing the necessary capital for oil production, but that profits and taxes will go entirely to the Venezuelan government and its people. He described the agreement as a revenue-sharing arrangement, involving an untapped underground asset that currently yields no return for the Venezuelan people. Wright also signed several contracts with multinational companies for fuel investment and the rehabilitation of Venezuela's electricity grid. ## Disagreement on the total amount of oil Reports differ on the total quantity of Venezuelan oil the United States is set to receive. Source 1 (SANA) and Source 12 (Globo) state that President Donald Trump announced on August 28 that the US would receive over 65 billion barrels. Source 4 (TUOI TRE ONLINE) states the US says it did not 'steal' 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil. Source 13 (PressNewsAgency) quotes President Donald Trump describing the pact as 'the biggest oil deal in world history'. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention the specific figure of 20% of Venezuela's oil reserves that the United States has rights to exploit. The left-rated report from SANA and the centre-rated report from Morgan County Citizen both included this detail. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 14% (1) - Centre: 15% (1) - Right: 71% (5) 11 of 18 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-03T13:15:32.001636+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-03T13:45:31.838Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated report from SANA led with the headline "The U.S. Energy Minister Denies Washington's Quest for Venezuelan Oil Theft and Confirms Revenue Sharing." It quoted US Energy Secretary Chris Wright directly, stating that Venezuelan resources and oil belong to the Venezuelan people and denying Washington's pursuit of Venezuelan oil theft. The report noted Wright's confirmation of revenue sharing and his signing of contracts with multinational companies for fuel investment and electricity grid rehabilitation. It also mentioned President Donald Trump's August 28 announcement regarding the US receiving over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil. ### Centre - The centre-rated report from Morgan County Citizen used the headline "US not 'stealing Venezuelan oil,' energy secretary insists." The digest stated that US Energy Secretary Chris Wright dismissed claims of Washington stealing Venezuelan oil after the nation granted its northern neighbour access to a large portion of its natural resources. The report did not include further details from the energy secretary's statements or mention the specifics of the agreement. ### Right - The right-rated reports generally focused on US Energy Secretary Chris Wright's insistence that the US is not stealing Venezuelan oil. Headlines across these reports, such as "US not ‘stealing Venezuelan oil’, energy secretary insists" (Free Malaysia Today News, The Straits Times, Islamabad Post, KahawaTungu, PressNewsAgency) and "Secretary of Energy Denies that the U.S. Is ' Stealing' Venezuelan Oil: 'Priority Is the People'" (Globo), reflect this emphasis. The digests noted Wright's defence of the agreement, with some mentioning that private firms provide capital for oil production while royalties and taxes go to Venezuela (Free Malaysia Today News). Globo reported that President Donald Trump announced on August 28 an agreement by which Washington would assume majority control of more than 65 billion barrels. The Straits Times mentioned Wright stressing the importance of fixing Venezuela’s electricity sector. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 5 - unknown: 11 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Unknown](https://epochtimes.jp/2026/09/384614.html) — US and Venezuela Sign Oil Agreement; Secretary of State Wright: "China Has No Claim to New revenues." - [KahawaTungu](https://kahawatungu.com/us-not-stealing-venezuelan-oil-energy-secretary-insists) — US not 'stealing Venezuelan oil,' energy secretary insists - [SANA](https://sana.sy/economy/2570857) — The U.S. Energy Minister Denies Washington's Quest for Venezuelan Oil Theft and Confirms Revenue Sharing. - [TUOI TRE ONLINE](https://tuoitre.vn/my-noi-khong-danh-cap-65-ti-thung-dau-cua-venezuela-100260903131343969.htm) — The US Says It Did Not 'Steal' 65 Billion Barrels of Venezuelan Oil. - [alborsaanews.com](https://alborsaanews.com/2026/09/03/1990183) — The United States Minister of Energy Denies the Allegations of His Country's Attempts to Steal Venezuelan Oil. - [Sapo](https://sapo.pt/artigo/secretario-da-energia-norte-americano-garante-que-eua-nao-querem-roubar-o-petroleo-venezuelano-6a990f2ab69388d4ad08db66) — U.S. Secretary of Energy Ensures U.S. Doesn't Want to " Steal Oil" Venezuelan - [SIC Notícias](https://sicnoticias.pt/mundo/2026-09-03-secretario-da-energia-norte-americano-garante-que-eua-nao-querem-roubar-o-petroleo-venezuelano-b8bf5a9a) — U.S. Secretary of Energy Ensures U.S. Doesn't Want to " Steal Oil" Venezuelan - [Islamabad Post](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/us-not-stealing-venezuelan-oil-energy-secretary-insists) — US not ‘stealing Venezuelan oil,’ energy secretary insists - [Noticias ao Minuto](https://noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/3045509/venezuela-eua-nao-querem-roubar-o-petroleo-do-pais-caribenho-chris-wright) — "It's Not true." The U.S. Doesn't Want to Steal the Oil From Venezuela. - [The Objective | Periodismo ethos](https://theobjective.com/internacional/2026-09-03/eeuu-petroleo-venezolano-china) — The US Claims that “Nobody Steals Venezuelan Oil Anymore” and that China Made It Cheap - [Unknown](https://alquds.co.uk/%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%83%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%A4%D9%83%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%AA) — The U.S. Secretary of Energy Confirms that His Country Doesn't Want to Steal Venezuela's Oil. - [Globo](https://oglobo.globo.com/economia/noticia/2026/09/03/secretario-de-energia-nega-que-eua-estejam-roubando-petroleo-venezuelano-prioridade-e-o-povo.ghtml) — Secretary of Energy Denies that the U.S. Is ' Stealing' Venezuelan Oil: 'Priority Is the People' - [PressNewsAgency](https://pressnewsagency.org/us-not-stealing-venezuelan-oil-energy-secretary-insists) — US not ‘stealing Venezuelan oil’, energy secretary insists - [Free Malaysia Today News](https://freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/03/us-not-stealing-venezuelan-oil-energy-secretary-insists) — US not ‘stealing Venezuelan oil’, energy secretary insists - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/us-not-stealing-venezuelan-oil-energy-secretary-insists) — US not ‘stealing Venezuelan oil’, energy secretary insists - [Morgan County Citizen](https://morgancountycitizen.com/news/national/us-not-stealing-venezuelan-oil-energy-secretary-insists/article_6822987e-4447-5ad5-982d-dd6892f33d21.html) — US not 'stealing Venezuelan oil,' energy secretary insists - [rtl.lu](https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/us-not-stealing-venezuelan-oil-energy-secretary-insists-1510554252) — US not 'stealing Venezuelan oil,' energy secretary insists - [The Epoch Times](https://theepochtimes.com/epochtv/live-now-energy-secretary-chris-wright-holds-press-gaggle-in-caracas-6082498) — LIVE NOW: Energy Secretary Chris Wright Holds Press Gaggle in Caracas ## Questions **What is the agreement between the US and Venezuela regarding oil?** The agreement allows the United States to exploit 20% of Venezuela's oil reserves. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that private companies provide capital for production, but profits and taxes return to Venezuela. He denied accusations of theft, describing it as revenue sharing. **How much Venezuelan oil will the US receive?** President Donald Trump announced on August 28 that the United States would receive over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil. One report described the pact as 'the biggest oil deal in world history'. **What did US Energy Secretary Chris Wright say about the deal?** Chris Wright denied claims that the US was stealing Venezuelan oil. He asserted that the resource belongs to the Venezuelan people and that American businesses are providing capital and technology for its extraction, with revenue being shared. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/us-energy-secretary-denies-stealing-venezuelan-oil. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US Energy Secretary Denies Stealing Venezuelan Oil", https://mediabias.news/business/us-energy-secretary-denies-stealing-venezuelan-oil