US Vice President JD Vance has declared that “American energy is back”, attributing the sector’s recent growth to the policies of President Donald Trump. In a post on X, Vance said the administration had opened hundreds of millions of acres for oil, gas and coal development while revitalising what he described as America’s clean coal industry.

Vance highlighted a major rise in US liquefied natural gas exports, stating that the country set a global LNG export record in 2025. According to his remarks, the United States became the first nation to ship more than 100 million metric tons in a single year, while LNG exports increased by 23 per cent during the first half of 2026 to 17.4 billion cubic feet per day.

He also pointed to record domestic oil and gas production. Vance said the United States achieved unprecedented output levels in 2025 and is on course for another record year in 2026, with crude oil production expected to average 13.8 million barrels per day.

Emphasising the administration’s international energy strategy, Vance claimed that “President Trump secured the biggest oil deal in world history, delivering the US majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela.”

At the same time, US imports of Venezuelan crude oil rose sharply during 2026. Imports reached an average of 7,01,000 barrels per day in July, the highest monthly level since May 2017, before easing to 6,55,000 barrels per day in August.

The increase marked a significant shift from the start of the year, when imports stood at roughly 200,000 barrels per day. Volumes generally climbed throughout the year as demand strengthened.

The US Energy Information Administration said higher imports were supported by strong crude demand from American refineries amid favourable global refining margins. The agency also noted that the rise was helped by the easing of US government restrictions on purchases from Venezuela.

Refinery infrastructure has played a key role in the trend. Many facilities along the US Gulf Coast are specifically configured to process heavy sour crude grades, including those produced in Venezuela.

Trade patterns have also shifted considerably. Data from Vortexa showed that although China was the principal destination for Venezuelan crude exports during 2025, Venezuela sent no crude shipments to China this year. The United States instead became the largest single destination for Venezuelan crude exports by volume.

The latest import figures and changing export flows reflect an evolving diplomatic and commercial relationship between Washington and Caracas, alongside broader efforts by the US to reinforce its position in global energy markets.

ANI