Energy · Commodities

—The deal. Spain’s Repsol signed an agreement to study a new oil area in Venezuela called Horcón.

—The shift. It is a bet on fresh ground to explore, not the restart of an existing oilfield.

—The horizon. A planned offshore drilling campaign would run from 2028 into the early 2030s.

—The race. Repsol is competing with Chevron, Shell and Eni for the world’s largest oil reserves.