President Donald Trump says the US oil industry could be "up and running" with increased operations in Venezuela within 18 months, after a surprise military operation removed President Nicolás Maduro from power.
Trump told NBC News that "a tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they'll get reimbursed by us or through revenue".
Representatives from major US petroleum companies planned to meet the Trump administration later this week, BBC's partner CBS News reported.
Analysts previously told the BBC it could take tens of billions of dollars, and potentially a decade, to restore Venezuela's former output.
Trump's remarks came days after he said the US would "run" Venezuela after the ousting of Maduro - who has now been brought to the US to face criminal charges.
