Continental Resources has signed a tentative Memorandum of Understanding with Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) to operate and drill in the Ayacucho 2 Block, a 126,000-acre area of Venezuela’s oil-rich Orinoco Belt. Harold Hamm, a major donor to President Trump’s presidential campaigns and ballroom project, said the agreement advances Continental’s strategy of pursuing large resource opportunities. The deal follows separate announcements involving the U.S. government and Chevron after the Trump administration’s incursion into Venezuela and capture of leader Nicolás Maduro. Existing company materials identify Ayacucho 2 as an undeveloped block in Anzoátegui state with an estimated 30 billion barrels of resources in place, and say the parties intend to pursue a long-term Contrato de Participación Productiva that would give Continental a 100% working interest if executed. The proposed investment comes as Venezuela seeks to revive an oil industry weakened by underinvestment and infrastructure deterioration.