Trump called the U.S.-Venezuela oil pact the "biggest oil deal in the world." Energy experts, economists, and lawyers are much less sure. The deal was negotiated in secret, with no competitive bidding, and the contract still hasn't been released. U.S. officials have not publicly named which companies will operate the 17 fields. It was signed with Venezuela's interim president. She says the term is 25 years; U.S. officials, meanwhile, have talked about century-long rights. Legal experts say her authority to lock the country into a deal this large can be challenged later. Economists say the tax take Caracas advertised looks unusually low. The infrastructure is wrecked and needs huge repairs before output rises in a meaningful way. Most of the barrels are extra-heavy Orinoco crude, among the hardest oils to produce and refine at scale. Columbia energy scholar Luisa Palacios put the risk this way: if the goal was to make Venezuela investable, this structure may do the opposite by weakening an already fragile legal framework. Lower pump prices? Don't count on it anytime soon. Sources: Reuters, NPR(Lark Davis)