Trump’s Venezuelan oil deal faces refining limits despite billions of barrels

  • President Donald Trump announced a deal giving the United States access to Venezuelan oil reserves.
  • 95% was the approximate refinery operating level throughout the summer, according to Patrick De Haan.
  • AAA recorded a national gasoline average of $4.0807 per gallon on Monday.

President Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal giving the United States access to billions of barrels of Venezuelan oil has fueled hopes that gasoline prices could ease despite the Iran war’s energy shock. GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan cautioned that limited U.S. refining capacity could prevent additional crude from quickly translating into cheaper fuel. He said refiners have been operating above 95% capacity throughout the summer and have little room to process more oil. Venezuelan crude would also require more complex refining because it is heavy and high in sulfur. De Haan previously said the plan would require billions of dollars in investment before it could help lower U.S. gasoline prices. AAA data showed the national average gasoline price at $4.0807 per gallon on Monday. Charlie Bilello, Chief Marketing Strategist at Creative Planning, criticized Trump as prices remained above $4 per gallon. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a U.S. environmental regulator, had earlier issued an emergency fuel waiver allowing producers to switch to winter gasoline blends sooner than usual to reduce costs and provide relief.

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