The US treasury department issued a licence allowing some transactions involving Venezuela’s government, as well as state oil firm PDVSA, to provide goods, tech and software “for the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas” in the country.

Another licence issued authorises certain transactions necessary for port and airport operations, while a third document allows certain activities involving Venezuelan-origin oil.

President Donald Trump had pressured Caracas to open up its oil fields to US investors after overthrowing his socialist arch-foe Nicolas Maduro in a deadly US bombing raid on Caracas on Jan 3.

The US leader backed Maduro’s deputy Delcy Rodriguez to take over, on the provision that she give Washington access to the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

The treasury’s moves come as US energy secretary Chris Wright plans to travel to Venezuela for oil talks at an unspecified date, according to a US media report.

Sanctioned by Washington since 2019, Venezuela sits on about a fifth of the world’s oil reserves and was once a major crude supplier to the United States.