北京9月17日电 综合消息：委内瑞拉国家石油公司当地时间16日与美国大陆资源公司签署谅解备忘录，计划合作开发和运营委内瑞拉奥里诺科重油带中的一个区块。

BEIJING, September 17th - Comprehensive news: On the 16th local time, the Venezuelan National Oil Company signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Continental Resources Company, planning to jointly develop and operate a block within the Orinoco Heavy Oil Belt in Venezuela.

埃菲社报道，计划开发的是奥里诺科重油带内占地约12.6万英亩(约合510平方公里)的阿亚库乔2号区块。大陆资源公司估计，该区块拥有约300亿桶原地石油资源量。

According to EFE news agency, the project aims to develop the Ayacucho 2 block, which covers an area of approximately 126,000 acres (about 510 square kilometers) within the Orinoco heavy oil belt. Continental Resources estimates that this block contains approximately 30 billion barrels of recoverable oil reserves.

委内瑞拉75%的石油储量都集中在奥里诺科重油带。该重油带以超重油为主，开发该类油气资源需要大量资金投入及相应的基础设施和技术能力。

75% of Venezuela's oil reserves are concentrated in the Orinoco heavy oil belt. This belt is mainly composed of ultra-heavy oil. Developing such oil and gas resources requires significant investment in funds as well as corresponding infrastructure and technical capabilities.

委内瑞拉代总统德尔西·罗德里格斯16日在社媒平台“电报”上说，该谅解备忘录旨在引入新技术，提升融资能力，有助于增强本国油气生产能力。

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez said on the social media platform "Telegram" on the 16th that this memorandum of understanding aims to introduce new technologies, enhance financing capabilities, and help boost the country's oil and gas production capacity.

大陆资源公司表示，这项协议将让公司得以投入私人资本和技术，贡献专业经验，并发挥大规模运营能力，推动“委内瑞拉石油工业复苏”。

The Continental Resources Company stated that this agreement will enable the company to invest private capital and technology, contribute professional experience, and leverage its large-scale operational capabilities to facilitate the "recovery of the Venezuelan oil industry".

路透社称，大陆资源公司创始人哈罗德·哈姆一直是美国总统特朗普的重要财政支持者，曾非正式担任特朗普的能源顾问。

Reuters reports that Harold Ham, the founder of Continental Resources, has been an important financial supporter of US President Trump and has unofficially served as Trump's energy advisor.

委内瑞拉已探明石油储量超3000亿桶，居全球首位。今年1月，委内瑞拉通过石油行业改革相关法案，进一步开放国有石油领域，允许私人和外国投资进入委石油行业，以此提振石油产量。德尔西·罗德里格斯8月28日称，委美两国达成大规模石油合作协议。

Venezuela has proven oil reserves exceeding 300 billion barrels, ranking first in the world. In January this year, Venezuela passed relevant bills for the reform of the oil industry, further opening up the state-owned oil sector and allowing private and foreign investment to enter the Venezuelan oil industry, in an effort to boost oil production. Delcy Rodríguez said on August 28 that Venezuela and the United States have reached a large-scale oil cooperation agreement.