Venezuela Moves Forward With Oil Nationalizations

PDVSA has taken control of two gas compression facilities in eastern Venezuela belonging to Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Cos.

Accumulated debts with PDVSA have prompted some foreign oil drillers to halt their Venezuela operations, including Ensco International Inc., which stopped drilling its offshore rig in January, saying Venezuela owed it $35 million.

The Dallas-based company said in a statement Monday that it has notified PDVSA that it intends to terminate its contract due to nonpayment.

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Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.