World News for Students of English

27-02-2026 15:00

Venezuela has very large oil reserves, especially in the Orinoco Belt, but most of its oil is heavy and thick.

This makes it hard and expensive to take out of the ground and process. It also creates high emissions, including methane, which is very harmful for the planet.

Lighter oils from other countries are easier to extract and give better products like gasoline. Venezuela’s oil often becomes asphalt or heavy fuel, which are not so good. The country’s oil industry also has many problems, such as broken equipment and poor maintenance.

In the past, foreign oil companies had to leave, so investors are careful. Some future technologies could make the oil easier to use, but this would need a lot of money and time.

Difficult words: reserve (a supply of something kept for future use), methane (a strong greenhouse gas that can harm the climate), extract (to take something out from the ground).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.