“The number one winner is Guyana” – Canadian strategist touts country’s strong position in shifting oil market

Guyana is at the top as one of the best-positioned countries in the oil market right now as oil prices continue to slip following Venezuela’s recent exchange of power, as well as being a country with the most to gain with the relaxing of Venezuela’s unjustified territorial claims to Guyana’s territory.
This is according to seasoned Canadian market strategist and investment portfolio manager Steve Rowles. A senior portfolio manager at TriVest Wealth Counsel, which operates under Wellington-Altus Private Counsel Inc, a Canadian portfolio management and investment firm focused on discretionary risk-managed investing for high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions.
Speaking during an interview on the Canadian business and financial news television network BNN Bloomberg about the outlook on the energy markets amid geopolitical tensions, Rowles underlined that aside from the US, Guyana is the most solidly positioned country that stands to gain in the current oil market as developments continue between the US and Venezuela.
“The number one winner is actually the country of Guyana. right next-door to Venezuela. There’s been some great offshore developments in the oil markets in Guyana,” Rowles highlighted, during discussions with BNN Bloomberg.
“[Guyana is] a powerhouse indeed and they need the infrastructure and it’s coming in waves and they have the biggest market there so I think that’s a story that’s not really being talked about.”
Rowles referenced the stability of Guyana’s oil and gas industry as he discussed the volatility of his own country’s oil situation as well as the future outlook for the oil market and potential for investment as oil prices continue to slip amidst the developing situation in Venezuela, where the US had seized a number of oil tankers and is planning to inject an additional 30–50 million barrels of oil into the market.
Rowles also pointed to Guyana’s increased investment appeal, given the expected relaxed posture on Venezuela’s continued unjustified territorial claims of Guyana’s land.
“They’ve been under some pressure over the past couple months and years with territorial claims by Venezuela as recently as March claiming over two thirds of the region of their entire country… But having that territorial claim now gone it’s a free market there. They’re producing about one million barrels a day and that’s expected to increase substantially till 2030 up to two million by then. More supply more money,” Rowles commented.
Rowles reasoned that Guyana will remain an oil investment hot spot as investors look more towards focusing on the short term, as the world waits to see the full extent that the recent and future developments will have on the market.
“Right now, it’s Guyana, and right now I think it’s better to focus on the short term until we know what the long-term plans are. The entire [Caribbean] region, Trinidad and Tobago there’s some opportunities there for more off shore discoveries, the entire region is quite buzzing right now,” Rowles said.
“There’s more questions than answers right now and when you have this type of environment it’s a more speculative type of market than an investment type of market. So, it’s very difficult to know exactly what’s going to happen.”
Discussions on the outlook of the oil market have escalated following the US military operation in Venezuela and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, effectively taking control of certain aspects of the government, including the country’s oil exports and revenue.
Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world, with over 300 billion barrels. Production once exceeded three million barrels per day (bpd) in the 1990s but declined to around one million bpd by late 2025 due to underinvestment, infrastructure decay, and sanctions.
Since mid-December the US has imposed a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela as part of pressure on Maduro. This action further curtailed Venezuelan exports, with these escalations raising short-term price volatility.
Some analysts believe that if Venezuela stabilises and sanctions are eased over the long term, production could eventually rise, potentially adding significant future barrels to the market. Forecasts suggest Venezuelan production might climb over several years if investment occurs, but this is far from guaranteed and depends on political stability and legal assurances. Leaving much uncertainty in the market’s future, where Guyana’s future remains solid.