Expensive Diesel And Unstable Gasoline: How The Type Of Oil From Venezuela, The USA, And Brazil Defines Fuel Prices

Written by Roberta Souza

Published on 06/01/2026 at 09:32

Foto: Ia

Be the first to react!

Differences in Crude Oil Explain Why Fuels Remain Expensive Even with High Production in Brazil and Help Understand the Weight of Venezuelan Heavy Oil in the Global Market.

Heavy Oil, Expensive Diesel: Why Venezuelan Oil Makes Such a Difference in Fuel Prices

Whenever oil comes into discussion, the main question from consumers is straightforward: why do gasoline and diesel remain expensive?
The answer involves a factor little known outside the energy sector: not all oil is the same, and the type produced in each country directly influences the cost of fuels.

Venezuela, the United States, and Brazil produce crude oils with very different characteristics — and this helps explain price formation in the global market.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Types of Crude Oil: The Difference That Affects Your Wallet

Crude oil is primarily classified by density and sulfur content, factors that determine refining costs and which fuels can be produced more efficiently.

United States:
- Predominance of light, sweet crude Simpler refining
- Ideal for gasoline
Venezuela:
- Heavy and extra-heavy crude More complex refining
- Essential for diesel, asphalt, and industrial fuels
Brazil:
- Major production of medium to light crude, especially in the pre-salt layer
- High quality but with limitations for large-scale diesel production

In practice, this means that having a lot of oil does not guarantee cheap fuel if the type produced is not the most suitable for a given derivative.

Venezuela Concentrates the Most Critical Oil for Diesel

Venezuela has about 303 billion barrels of proven reserves, the largest volume in the world, according to data from EIA and OPEC+.
A large portion of these reserves is heavy oil, precisely the one most used to produce diesel.

The reduction of this oil’s presence in the international market in recent years has contributed to:

decrease in global diesel supply
greater dependence on a few suppliers
direct pressure on prices

And the Oil Produced in Brazil?

Brazil is currently one of the top 10 oil producers in the world, with emphasis on the pre-salt layer. National production is led by Petrobras, responsible for most offshore extraction.

Despite the high volume produced, Brazilian oil:

is lighter
generates higher returns on export
does not fully meet domestic diesel demand

Therefore, the country still depends on:

diesel imports
mixing different types of crude oil
variations in the international market

Why Diesel is the Most Sensitive Fuel in the Market

Diesel fuels strategic sectors such as:

cargo transportation
agriculture
industry
energy generation

When there is a shortage of heavy oil, diesel production falls, even if there is plenty of light oil. This imbalance affects:

freight costs
food prices
inflation

That’s why diesel tends to react more quickly to crises in the oil market than gasoline.

The price of fuels does not depend only on the amount of oil produced but on the type of oil available in the market. The combination of Brazilian production, the absence of Venezuelan heavy oil, and refining limitations helps explain why diesel and gasoline remain sensitive to global fluctuations.

Expensive Diesel And Unstable Gasoline: How The Type Of Oil From Venezuela, The USA, And Brazil Defines Fuel Prices

Differences in Crude Oil Explain Why Fuels Remain Expensive Even with High Production in Brazil and Help Understand the Weight of Venezuelan Heavy Oil in the Global Market.

Types of Crude Oil: The Difference That Affects Your Wallet

Venezuela Concentrates the Most Critical Oil for Diesel

And the Oil Produced in Brazil?

Why Diesel is the Most Sensitive Fuel in the Market

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Cristiano Ronaldo builds a billion-dollar mansion in Portugal with 54,000 square feet, a 3-acre plot facing the Atlantic, private spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and an estimated value of an impressive R$ 385 million.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

USA enters the era of new asphalt: the country is testing streets with reflective coating that reduces pavement heat, accumulates less temperature than traditional asphalt, and has already been applied to over 140 miles to combat urban heat islands.

Scientists discover that tires are releasing invisible microplastics into city air, raising concerns about what we breathe every day.

End of water scarcity: colossal 4.2 km pipeline in the Mediterranean supplies mega plant capable of producing 200 million liters per day with reverse osmosis, 25 million liter reservoir, and structure to serve 600,000 people in Tunisia

USA to Pay New Residents: Town with Fewer than 900 Inhabitants Offers Up to $50,000 for Purchase of New Homes, Properties up to 119 m², and Ambitious Plan to Attract Families and Prevent Rural Depopulation in Nebraska

Man builds a mini castle in the forest with a raw wood tower, uses simple tools in manual work, and transforms limited resources into a rustic refuge that looks like it came out of a medieval tale in the middle of nature.

Expensive Diesel And Unstable Gasoline: How The Type Of Oil From Venezuela, The USA, And Brazil Defines Fuel Prices

Differences in Crude Oil Explain Why Fuels Remain Expensive Even with High Production in Brazil and Help Understand the Weight of Venezuelan Heavy Oil in the Global Market.

Types of Crude Oil: The Difference That Affects Your Wallet

Venezuela Concentrates the Most Critical Oil for Diesel

And the Oil Produced in Brazil?

Why Diesel is the Most Sensitive Fuel in the Market

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Cristiano Ronaldo builds a billion-dollar mansion in Portugal with 54,000 square feet, a 3-acre plot facing the Atlantic, private spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and an estimated value of an impressive R$ 385 million.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

USA to Pay New Residents: Town with Fewer than 900 Inhabitants Offers Up to $50,000 for Purchase of New Homes, Properties up to 119 m², and Ambitious Plan to Attract Families and Prevent Rural Depopulation in Nebraska

Reduction of working hours to 40 hours could cost R$ 77 billion to the GDP, raise food prices, and put up to 2.7 million jobs at risk, data indicates.

Supermarket giant buys 12 stores, Distribution Center, and two chains and accelerates expansion

There are only four days left until the Income Tax deadline, and the Federal Revenue Service is still awaiting over 13 million returns. Those who miss the 11:59 PM deadline on May 29 will incur a minimum fine of R$ 165.74 with no discount.

More than 220 Brazilian industries have already fled towards Paraguay and no one seems to be paying attention. The small neighbor is growing three times faster than Brazil and attracting billions in foreign investments while the South American giant remains stagnant.

USA enters the era of new asphalt: the country is testing streets with reflective coating that reduces pavement heat, accumulates less temperature than traditional asphalt, and has already been applied to over 140 miles to combat urban heat islands.

Scientists discover that tires are releasing invisible microplastics into city air, raising concerns about what we breathe every day.

End of water scarcity: colossal 4.2 km pipeline in the Mediterranean supplies mega plant capable of producing 200 million liters per day with reverse osmosis, 25 million liter reservoir, and structure to serve 600,000 people in Tunisia

USA to Pay New Residents: Town with Fewer than 900 Inhabitants Offers Up to $50,000 for Purchase of New Homes, Properties up to 119 m², and Ambitious Plan to Attract Families and Prevent Rural Depopulation in Nebraska

Man builds a mini castle in the forest with a raw wood tower, uses simple tools in manual work, and transforms limited resources into a rustic refuge that looks like it came out of a medieval tale in the middle of nature.