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ExxonMobil to explore for oil and gas in offshore area under dispute by Guyana and Venezuela
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FILE - High school students walk past ExxonMobil flags as they arrive to a job fair at the University of Guyana in Georgetown, Guyana, April 21, 2023. ExxonMobil said on Feb. 7, 2024 that it plans to explore for oil and gas in the Essequibo, a region disputed between Guyana and Venezuela. Guyana awarded the exploration license. - photo by AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — ExxonMobil said it plans to explore for oil and gas in a disputed area off South America’s coast where the Venezuelan military had previously expelled two U.S. oil companies. The move could escalate tensions between Venezuela and neighboring Guyana, which awarded the exploration license. Guyana considers the area part of its Essequibo region, but Venezuela has long claimed it as its own, holding a referendum in December in which voters supported a push to annex it.