President Donald Trump suggested on Monday night that the U.S. government could potentially reimburse oil companies for helping to rebuild Venezuela's aging oil infrastructure.

The president predicted that it would take less than 18 months to rebuild the nation's oil infrastructure, but warned that the process could be very expensive.

The remarks come after President Trump suggested on Saturday that U.S. oil companies would help rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure and bring revenue to Venezuela.

"I think it can be done in less than that, but it will cost a lot of money," President Trump told NBC News on Monday. "It will cost a lot of money, and the oil companies will be reimbursed by our government, through revenue, after they spend the money."

The president declined to comment on how much the oil companies or the federal government would pay, but said it would be "a substantial amount." Oil companies have not yet commented on whether they would be willing to bear these costs.

When asked if he had briefed oil companies prior to any military operations, President Trump said, "No, but we have discussed the concept of 'what if we do that?'"

"The oil companies knew clearly that we were thinking about doing something, but we didn't tell them that we actually would," President Trump told NBC News.

He said it was "too early to tell" if he had spoken directly with the CEOs of any of the three companies, but added, "I talk to everybody."

Chevron is the only major U.S. oil company remaining in Venezuela. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips previously operated in Venezuela but withdrew after Hugo Chávez nationalized their facilities in 2007.

Recent reports indicate that ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips have pursued billions of dollars in unpaid international arbitration awards for their seized assets.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration plans to meet with U.S. oil company executives later this week to discuss ways to boost Venezuela's oil production.

The meeting will be crucial for the administration's goal of increasing oil production and exports from Venezuela, an OPEC member with the world's largest crude oil reserves, which can be refined by U.S. specialized refining facilities.

According to Reuters, the S&P 500 energy index hit its highest level since March 2025, with ExxonMobil up 2.2% and Chevron up 5.1%.

By Hong Sung-goo, Chief Reporter at NNP / Special Correspondent for this newspaper NNP info@newsandpost.com