Ever since the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, President Trump has made one of his top priorities clear, getting control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

But to do that, Trump is going to need the help of U.S. oil companies.

On Friday last week, he called a group of oil executives to the White House for a televised meeting.

Our colleague Andrew Rastusha was watching.

Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.

You have Trump and his top advisors, including Secretary of State, Marker Rubio,

and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, sitting

at a series of tables in the Eastern and then around them at a table sort of formed

and almost like a horseshoe are the most powerful and influential U.S. oil executives.

Today I'm delighted to welcome almost two dozen of the biggest and most respected oil and gas executives in the world.

All sort of there waiting to have a discussion about the future of Venezuela.

And what does Trump say to them?

He sends a message that he wants them to spend big and move quickly to invest in Venezuela.

Our giant oil companies will be spending at least $100 billion of their money, not the government's money.

They don't need government money.

But there's a bit of a hurdle to Trump's big Venezuelan oil ambitions.

Those U.S. oil companies aren't exactly thrilled about the idea of making that investment.

There's this pretty overriding sense in the U.S. oil industry that Benzumel is more trouble than it's worth.

It will be a years-long, if not decades-long, process.

It'll face enormous hurdles.

And there's huge question marks hanging over the entire thing.

Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power.

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