Oil prices slip after US govt threatens to sell Venezuelan crude

Oil prices slipped on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, as traders weighed geopolitical risks against bearish fundamentals, after the United States announced it might sell the Venezuelan crude it seized.

Brent crude futures edged lower by 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $61.94 per barrel by 0720 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude eased 14 cents, or 0.2%, to $57.87 a barrel.

On Monday, prices rose over 2% with Brent posting its best daily performance in two months and WTI climbing the most since November 14.

“Crude oil markets are grinding through the final weeks of 2025 with prices largely subdued, reflecting a tug-of-war between persistent bearish fundamentals and intermittent bullish headlines,” a senior market analyst at brokerage Phillip Nova, Priyanka Sachdeva, said in a statement.

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Sachdeva noted that while prices have shown modest rebounds on geopolitical headlines throughout 2025, the broader narrative points to a balance of sluggish demand and oversupply.

“Overall, the trend remains weak as structural supply concerns eclipse short-lived risk-off rallies,” she added.

But markets are cautious as traders weigh the geopolitical risks against forecasts of ample supply in early 2026, leaving prices potentially sensitive to any prolonged disruptions, Reuters reported.

On Monday, United States President Donald Trump said the U.S. might keep or sell the oil it had seized off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks, amid his pressure campaign on Venezuela, which includes a “blockade” of oil tankers under sanctions entering and leaving the country.

The Star