ConocoPhillips Will Prioritize Recovery Of Venezuela Funds, CEO Says

• Lance said that while the company is cooperating with the Trump administration on Venezuela, the oil major’s plans in the country have not changed significantly.
• Lance added that to consider a change, there would need to be a security improvement, a constructive relationship with the local government and people, as well as durability on the policy side.
• ConocoPhillips reported fourth-quarter (Q4) 2025 earnings on Thursday, posting adjusted earnings of $1.3 billion, indicating about 46% decline from the same period last year.

ConocoPhillips’ focus in Venezuela is on recovering the outstanding balance in the country.

CEO Ryan Lance said on Thursday in a call with investors that the oil major will focus on recovering money owed under existing legal judgements in Venezuela.

In response to a question about the company’s Venezuela operations, Lance said ConocoPhillips is “focused on the pathway to get some recovery on what's owed to us in Venezuela,” adding that it is the company’s “first priority right now.”

The comments come even as U.S. President Donald Trump has been urging American oil firms to rebuild Venezuela’s energy resources.

Shares of COP were down about 2.63% at the time of writing.

CEO Rationale

Lance said that while the company is cooperating with the Trump administration on providing updates and a sense of what is happening on the ground in Venezuela, the oil major’s plans in the country have not changed significantly.

Lance added that to consider a change, “a lot has to happen,” including improvement in security, a constructive relationship with the local government and the local people, as well as durability on the policy side.

“You need durability both in Venezuela and clearly here on the U.S. side. But we're we're we're helping the administration kind of think through the short, medium and long-term,” Lance said.

“We see no change at this point, encouraged by the administration's comments regarding wanting to keep the wanting to get the asset in American hands or U.S. hands, that's constructive.”

Earnings Update

ConocoPhillips reported fourth-quarter (Q4) 2025 adjusted earnings of $1.3 billion, compared to adjusted earnings of $2.4 billion, indicating about 46% decline.

The company posted earnings per share of $1.02, below analyst expectations of $1.07, as per Stocktwits data. This was about 48.5% lower than Q4 2024 EPS of $1.98 per share.

The company said it is looking at a $1 billion reduction in its capital and costs in 2026, and added that it expects to deliver about $7 billion in incremental free cash flow by 2029, including $1 billion each year from 2026 through 2028.

American Operations In Venezuela

Earlier in January, Trump reportedly greenlit the expansion of American oil companies to start operations in Venezuela. According to a report from CNBC, the Trump administration is also likely to issue a general license for U.S. oil majors to produce oil and gas in Venezuela as soon as this week.

Earlier, reports also indicated that Venezuela had approved a legal change that would make it easier for foreign companies to participate in its oil industry.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around COP shares stayed in the ‘bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours amid ‘high’ message volumes.

Shares of COP have gained about 4.11% in the past year.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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