EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract
Published . Updated .
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This report is about oil and tanker shipping.
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- USO United States Oil Fund-1.1% 30d
United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- XLE Energy Select Sector SPDR+6.9% 30d
Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- BWET Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF-3.3% 17d
Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story.
- XOM ExxonMobil Holdings-2.7% 17d
ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- FRO Frontline+1.0% 30d
Frontline (deep sea foreign transportation of freight): tanker owners earn more when more crude has to move by sea. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story.
- CVX Chevron+3.3% 30d
Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- DHT DHT Holdings
DHT Holdings (deep sea foreign transportation of freight): tanker owners earn more when more crude has to move by sea. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story.
- COP ConocoPhillips+4.8% 30d
ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USO | +2.78% | +4.95% | base | +2.37% | after close | after close | after close |
| XLE | +2.11% | -0.95% | base | +1.57% | after close | after close | after close |
| BWET | +35.67% | +29.19% | base | +4.90% | after close | after close | after close |
| XOM | +3.07% | +0.89% | base | +1.25% | after close | after close | after close |
| FRO | +10.52% | +3.52% | base | +4.39% | after close | after close | after close |
| CVX | +2.73% | +0.67% | base | +0.78% | after close | after close | after close |
| DHT | +6.01% | -0.62% | base | +4.90% | after close | after close | after close |
| COP | +0.96% | +0.52% | base | +1.36% | after close | after close | after close |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract Reuters
Source: Reuters
Price since this story was published: Shell (SHEL)
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) | that day | +4.90% | still updating |
| Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) | three days earlier | +29.19% | final price |
| Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) | five days earlier | +35.67% | final price |
| Conocophillips (COP) | that day | +1.36% | still updating |
| Conocophillips (COP) | three days earlier | +0.52% | final price |
| Conocophillips (COP) | five days earlier | +0.96% | final price |
| Chevron (CVX) | that day | +0.78% | still updating |
| Chevron (CVX) | three days earlier | +0.67% | final price |
| Chevron (CVX) | five days earlier | +2.73% | final price |
| DHT | that day | +4.90% | still updating |
| DHT | three days earlier | -0.62% | final price |
| DHT | five days earlier | +6.01% | final price |
| Frontline (FRO) | that day | +4.39% | still updating |
| Frontline (FRO) | three days earlier | +3.52% | final price |
| Frontline (FRO) | five days earlier | +10.52% | final price |
| United States Oil Fund (USO) | that day | +2.37% | still updating |
| United States Oil Fund (USO) | three days earlier | +4.95% | final price |
| United States Oil Fund (USO) | five days earlier | +2.78% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) | that day | +1.57% | still updating |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) | three days earlier | -0.95% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) | five days earlier | +2.11% | final price |
| ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) | that day | +1.25% | still updating |
| ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) | three days earlier | +0.89% | final price |
| ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) | five days earlier | +3.07% | final price |
Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Pete Sessions sold ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 14 Oct 2026. That is 28 days before publication. Filed 27 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) (jointly held), worth $100,001 - $250,000 on 31 Aug 2026. That is 72 days before publication. Filed 25 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Pete Sessions sold Chevron (CVX), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 14 Oct 2026. That is 28 days before publication. Filed 27 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Chevron (CVX) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 23 Sep 2026. That is 49 days before publication. Filed 13 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar bought Chevron (CVX), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 2 Sep 2026. That is 70 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Conocophillips (COP) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 26 Aug 2026. That is 77 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Conocophillips (COP) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Aug 2026. That is 79 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Conocophillips (COP), worth $1,000,001 - $5,000,000 on 21 Aug 2026. That is 82 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Shell (SHEL) on one side of this energy story
Companies carried with this story
- SHEL Shell
In “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract,” Shell (SHEL) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- FRO Frontline
For “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract,” Frontline (FRO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Frontline (deep sea foreign transportation of freight): tanker owners earn more when more crude has to move by sea. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story
- USO United States Oil Fund
United States Oil Fund (USO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 11 Nov 2026 story “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract.” Reason on file: United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- XLE Select Sector Spdr Tr
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 11 Nov 2026 story “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract.” Reason on file: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- BWET Amplify Commodity Trust
In “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract,” Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story
- XOM ExxonMobil Holdings
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 11 Nov 2026 story “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract.” Reason on file: ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- CVX Chevron
In “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract,” Chevron (CVX) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- COP Conocophillips
Conocophillips (COP) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 11 Nov 2026 story “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract.” Reason on file: ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
How energy news reaches Shell (SHEL)
On 11 Nov 2026, “EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract” is the story that connects Shell (SHEL) to Energy.
Shell (SHEL) is on the page because Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
Frontline (FRO) is here too. Its reason reads: Frontline (deep sea foreign transportation of freight): tanker owners earn more when more crude has to move by sea. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story
Dates in the story, and the Shell (SHEL) price range
FRO traded between 47.51 and 59.74 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 48.49. SHEL traded between 94.35 and 97.63 across 6 sessions. The latest close on file is 96.51. USO traded between 143.02 and 171.80 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 148.41.
How strong the case is around Shell (SHEL)
46 out of 100Price not final
“EXCLUSIVE: How a Vitol trader's ties to JD Vance helped land a prized Venezuela oil contract” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 8 linked companies. The price is not final yet.