oil exploration

Refineries in Texas and along its Gulf Coast could get a boost from Venezuela's heavy crude. But oil producers might hesitate to get involved in the country while its future remains uncertain.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond joined the challenge last year against Democrat-led states that filed lawsuits against fossil fuel entities like BP, Exxon Mobil and the American Petroleum Institute.

Last year saw the worst oil downturn in a generation. Exploration outfits slashed spending, and oil discoveries were the lowest they’d been since the…