Oil up on news the US intercepted an oil tanker off Venezuela

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Published22 DEC 25 - 09:25 Reading time minutes

“The market is waking up to the fact that the Trump administration is taking a hardline approach to the Venezuelan oil trade,” said June Goh, senior oil market analyst at Sparta Commodities.

“Oil prices have thus been supported by this geopolitical news alongside the simmering Russian-Ukraine tensions in the background in an otherwise very bearish market fundamentally,” said Goh.

Reuters, Dec 22, 2025 – Oil prices edged higher after the U.S. intercepted an oil tanker near Venezuela, raising fresh concerns around supply disruption. The move reflects a tougher U.S. stance on sanctioned Venezuelan oil, compounded by ongoing Russia–Ukraine tensions, which are helping to offset an otherwise bearish market driven by oversupply concerns. Together, these geopolitical developments have provided short term support to crude prices following recent declines.

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Author

June Goh

Senior Oil Market Analyst

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