--- title: "US structured Venezuela oil stake with warrants to prevent dilution" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-structured-venezuela-oil-stake-with-warrants-to-prevent-dilution" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-structured-venezuela-oil-stake-with-warrants-to-prevent-dilution" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-structured-venezuela-oil-stake-with-warrants-to-prevent-dilution.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-structured-venezuela-oil-stake-with-warrants-to-prevent-dilution" category: "Politics" area: "Latin America" published: "2026-09-06T06:45:29.290Z" source_reported: "2026-09-06T02:20:33.000Z" updated: "2026-09-06T06:45:29.290Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-06T08:45:27.226589+00:00" --- # US structured Venezuela oil stake with warrants to prevent dilution *A U.S. official detailed how Washington's 35% position in a Venezuelan oil venture is protected from future capital raises.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to a named official; two independent outlets published full reports. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. Reports include quotes from an official and mention of a businessman and his past dealings. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Language is measured and proportionate, with no sensationalism or manufactured urgency. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The U.S. government structured its 35% stake in a Venezuelan oil venture using warrants to protect it from dilution, a U.S. official said. - These "penny warrants" give the U.S. the right, but not the obligation, to buy equity later, ensuring Washington realizes the full project value. - North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), controlled by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, was granted 100-year rights to 17 oilfields with an estimated 65 billion barrels of reserves. - The concessions were awarded without a competitive process. The U.S. government has structured its 35 percent position in a Venezuelan oil venture using warrants designed to protect Washington's stake from being diminished by future capital increases. A U.S. official stated that the Pentagon utilized "penny warrants" in North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), a company controlled by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt. These warrants grant the U.S. the right, but not the obligation, to acquire equity at a later date. NABEP has been awarded 100-year rights to 17 oilfields containing an estimated 65 billion barrels of reserves as part of a recent agreement between Washington and Caracas. The concessions were granted without a competitive bidding process. According to the official, the structure ensures that the U.S. government will receive 35 percent of the project's full value once it reaches mature production, rather than having its share diluted during the development phase. The arrangement also entitles the U.S. to dividends before the warrants are exercised. The Pentagon also holds a separate right of first offer to purchase NABEP's oil output. The official confirmed that the concessions were awarded without a competitive process. ## Disagreement on details of oil output purchase ARY News and Times of India reported that twenty percent of NABEP's oil output can be purchased at a price reflecting the company's production cost, rather than market rates, with the remainder purchased at market prices. No other reports specified this detail. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre-rated or right-rated reports mentioned that the concessions were awarded without a competitive process, a detail that was present in the full reports from ARY News and Times of India, and noted by Reuters. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 67% (4) 4 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-06T08:45:27.226589+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-06T09:00:19.022Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from WTVB and Reuters led with the U.S. government structuring its 35 percent stake in a Venezuelan oil venture using warrants to protect it from dilution. Both digests stated that a U.S. official said the Pentagon has no obligation to buy the equity later. Reuters also noted that the concessions were awarded without a competitive process. ### Right - The right-rated reports from ARY News, Times of India, regionalmedianews.com, and Business Times focused on the U.S. government structuring its 35 percent position in a Venezuelan oil venture with warrants to protect it from dilution, citing a U.S. official. ARY News and Times of India, which provided full reports, detailed that the Pentagon structured the stake using "penny warrants" and that NABEP was granted 100-year rights to 17 oilfields holding an estimated 65 billion barrels of reserves. Both also noted the concessions were awarded without a competitive process. ARY News and Times of India further reported that twenty percent of NABEP's oil output can be purchased at a price reflecting the company's production cost, rather than market rates, with the rest purchased at market prices. These two reports also mentioned scrutiny over Betancourt's past business dealings and that he has denied wrongdoing. **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: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 1 ## 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 - [ziarulprofit.ro](https://ziarulprofit.ro/decizie-fara-precedent-la-washington-sua-va-controla-65-de-miliarde-de-barili-de-petrol-din-rezervele-venezuelei) — Unprecedented Decision in Washington: US Will Control 65 Billion Barrels of Oil From Venezuela's Reserves - Profit Newspaper - [ARY News](https://arynews.tv/us-structured-venezuela-oil-position-to-protect-it-from-dilution-official-says) — US structured Venezuela oil position to protect it from dilution, official says - [Noticias al Día y a la Hora | Últimas Noticias del día de hoy…](https://noticiasaldiayalahora.co/economia/ee-uu-estructuro-su-posicion-petrolera-en-venezuela-para-protegerla-de-una-dilucion) — The US Structured Its Oil Position in Venezuela to Protect It From Dilution - [regionalmedianews.com](https://regionalmedianews.com/news/national/business/us-structured-venezuela-oil-position-to-protect-it-from-dilution-official-says) — US structured Venezuela oil position to protect it from dilution, official says - Regional Media News - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/us-structured-venezuela-oil-position-to-protect-it-from-dilution-official-says/articleshow/133785263.cms) — US structured Venezuela oil position to protect it from dilution, official says - [El Carabobeño](https://el-carabobeno.com/reuters-eeuu-blinda-participacion-de-35-en-proyecto-petrolero-de-nabep-para-evitar-dilucion) — Reuters: US Armored 35% Participation in NABEP Oil Project to Avoid Dilution - [Business Times](https://businesstimes.com.sg/international/us-structured-venezuela-oil-position-protect-it-dilution-official-says) — US structured Venezuela oil position to protect it from dilution, official says - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/f4225d0425f71348) — US structured Venezuela oil position to protect it from dilution, official says - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/09/04/us-structured-venezuela-oil-position-to-protect-it-from-dilution-official-says) — US structured Venezuela oil position to protect it from dilution, official says - [Reuters](https://reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-structured-venezuela-oil-position-protect-it-dilution-official-says-2026-09-04) — US structured Venezuela oil position to protect it from dilution, official says ## Questions **How is the U.S. protecting its stake in the Venezuelan oil venture?** The U.S. government structured its 35% stake using "penny warrants." These warrants give Washington the right, but not the obligation, to buy equity later, ensuring its stake is not diluted by future capital raises and that it realizes the full project value. **What assets does NABEP control?** NABEP, controlled by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, has been granted 100-year rights to 17 oilfields. These fields hold an estimated 65 billion barrels of oil reserves. **Were the oilfield concessions competitively awarded?** According to a U.S. official, the concessions for the oilfields were awarded without a competitive process. This detail was reported by ARY News, Times of India, and Reuters. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/us-structured-venezuela-oil-stake-with-warrants-to-prevent-dilution. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US structured Venezuela oil stake with warrants to prevent dilution", https://mediabias.news/politics/us-structured-venezuela-oil-stake-with-warrants-to-prevent-dilution