Equinor CEO Says Return to Venezuela 'Not on the Table'

07:04 AM EST, 01/07/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Equinor (EQNR.OL) Chief Executive Officer Anders Opedal said a return to Venezuela is "not on the table" for the Norwegian energy giant, Reuters reported Wednesday. Opedal told the newswire that the company withdrew from the South American country to reallocate capital, noting that it would require a large amount of investment to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry and extract its heavy oil. The statement comes a few days after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Equinor exited Venezuela in 2021 after transferring its 9.67% non-operated stake in the country's Petrocedeño project to Corporación Venezolana del Petróleo, a subsidiary of state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela.