OREANDA-NEWS  The Ministry of Petroleum of Venezuela will cooperate with the British company Shell in the field of exploration and production of hydrocarbons. The relevant agreements were signed yesterday at the headquarters of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), the state-owned company reports.

"We are very pleased to conclude these agreements with Shell in the field of gas and oil, we are already implementing and implementing a new Law on hydrocarbons with new business models," Acting President of the Republic Delcy Rodriguez said in a statement.

The agreements cover the issues of natural gas production on the shelf (in particular, the Dragon project), as well as oil and gas production onshore, Shell said in a statement. In addition, the British company has signed agreements with the Venezuelan engineering company VEPICA, as well as with the American KBR and Baker Hughes.

The ceremony was also attended by U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Head of the National Energy Council Doug Bergam, who arrived in Venezuela two days earlier to negotiate cooperation in the energy and mining industries. It is noted that on Thursday, Rodriguez held a joint meeting with him and representatives of the oil and gas industry.