Oil rises as US steps up action against Venezuelan tankers

Oil prices rose this Monday (22), after the United States intercepted an oil tanker in international waters near the coast of Venezuela. At the same time, tensions in the war between Russia and Ukraine remained high. These two factors have raised fears that global oil supplies could be disrupted, which often puts upward pressure on prices. 🔎 Brent oil futures contracts — an international reference used as a basis for prices in the global market — advanced US$ 1.40, an increase of 2.3%, and were trading at US$ 61.87 per barrel at around 12:30 pm (Brasília time). According to Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS bank, market agents began to see a greater risk of interruption in Venezuela’s oil exports due to the embargo imposed by the USA. See the videos that are trending on g1 Until recently, according to him, there was a more complacent attitude towards this risk. Venezuelan crude oil accounts for around 1% of global supply, a relatively small share, but which gains importance in times of geopolitical instability or restrictions on international trade. In the second half of 2025, the increase in production from the USA and the OPEC+ group — an alliance that brings together the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies — largely offset concerns about possible supply disruptions in other regions. 👉 This balance helped keep Brent futures contracts close to US$65 per barrel, although prices fell last month amid fears of excess oil available on the market. For June Goh, an analyst at consultancy Sparta Commodities, oil prices have been supported mainly by events in Venezuela. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have taken a backseat in a market that, without these risk factors, would tend towards a more “bearish” scenario, that is, a drop in prices. US seizure of Venezuelan oil tanker Authorities told Reuters on Sunday that the United States Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela. If the operation is completed successfully, it will be the second such action over the weekend and the third in less than two weeks. According to IG analyst Tony Sycamore, the recent recovery in oil prices was driven by US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “total and complete” blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers that are under sanctions. The movement was reinforced by the consequences of this decision and by reports of an attack with Ukrainian drones on a ship from the so-called Russian “shadow fleet” in the Mediterranean — a term used for vessels that operate outside international sanctions. Oil price soars after OPEC announces cut of more than 1 million barrels per day JN

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