PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ HAS TIGHTENED HIS GRIP ON VENEZUELA'S ENERGY RESOURCES, FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THREATS TO PUNISH INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES THAT RESIST GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF THE LATIN AMERICAN NATION'S OILFIELDS. VENEZUELA SEIZED TWO OILFIELDS FROM FRANCE'S TOTAL SA AND ITALY'S ENI SPA AFTER THE COMPANIES FAILED TO COMPLY WITH A GOVERNMENT DEMAND THAT OPERATIONS BE TURNED OVER TO STATE OIL COMPANY PETROLEOS DE VENEZUELA SA (PDVSA), OIL MINISTER RAFAEL RAMIREZ SAID MONDAY IN CARACAS. 'THOSE TWO COMPANIES RESISTED ADJUSTING TO OUR LAWS,' RAMIREZ TOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE. 'THOSE FIELDS RETURN TO TOTAL, ABSOLUTE CONTROL BY PETROLEOS DE VENEZUELA.' UNTIL PDVSA TOOK CONTROL OF THE OILFIELDS SATURDAY, TOTAL AND ENI HAD OPERATED THEM UNDER CONTRACT. SOME OTHER INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES, INCLUDING EXXON MOBIL, DECIDED TO SELL THEIR STAKES AMONG THE 32 VENEZUELAN OIL PROPERTIES RATHER THAN GO ALONG WITH THE NEW TERMS. ASKED IF COMPANIES THAT RESIST WILL BE FORCED OUT OF VENEZUELA, RAMIREZ REPLIED, 'WE DON'T HAVE A VETO AGAINST ANY COMPANY HERE.' HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT 'COMPANIES THAT DON'T ADJUST TO OUR LAWS, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO CONTINUE IN THE COUNTRY.' VENEZUELA'S SEIZURES WERE THE FIRST AS PART OF CHAVEZ'S EFFORT TO DRAW MORE REVENUE FROM COMPANIES PUMPING OIL IN LATIN AMERICA'S BIGGEST PRODUCER. PRIVATE OIL COMPANIES HAD RUN 32 OILFIELDS IN VENEZUELA INDEPENDENTLY UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT. BUT VENEZUELA DEMANDED LAST YEAR THAT THOSE CONTRACTS BE CHANGED INTO 'MIXED COMPANY' JOINT VENTURES THAT GIVE PDVSA A MINIMUM 60-PERCENT STAKE.
