ExxonMobil to explore for oil and gas in offshore area under dispute by Guyana and Venezuela

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.