Venezuela's assembly backs oil deal announced with U.S.

CARACAS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Venezuela's ruling party-dominated National Assembly backed the country's oil deal with the Trump administration in a vote on Tuesday, ahead of a visit to Caracas by the U.S. Energy Secretary.

The ⁠unprecedented deal for the U.S. to gain access to a fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves via an arrangement under which private oil firm North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) would receive a 100-year ⁠lease for 17 oilfields has prompted questions and hesitation from some oil companies, sources have told Reuters.

U.S. ⁠Energy Secretary Chris Wright will travel to Venezuela to sign an agreement with ⁠a private entity on Wednesday, a U.S. official said, adding ⁠that Chevron is set to announce expanding operations in the Latin American country.

Reporting by Reuters

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