[3]Why Venezuela’s oil is so ‘dirty’Most of Venezuela’s reserves are extra-heavy, sour crude from the Orinoco Belt, a tarlike oil that must be heated and diluted to flow, similar to Canada’s oil sands. [1]Because it is so viscous and carbon-rich, producing and processing each barrel emits far more greenhouse gases than conventional crude. Methane emissions per unit of oil produced are several times the global average because of chronic leaks and extensive flaring at aging facilities. [7]Official data documented nearly 200 spills from 2016 to 2021 before the state oil company stopped reporting incidents. [9]Money, time and peopleVarious analyses put the investment needed to rebuild Venezuela’s oil sector at around $100 billion or more, with realistic timelines of five to seven years just to double current output, not to return to historic peaks.

Source: New York Times January 11, 2026 15:02 UTC