11.   OPEC Secretary-General Ali Rodriguez, a former Venezuelan oil minister, flew to Caracas from OPEC headquarters in Vienna.

12.   Tongui said he plans to meet with Rilwanu Lukman, the secretary general, and Venezuelan oil minister Erwin Jose Arrieta, who arrived earlier today.

13.   Venezuelan oil workers struck for eight hours today to protest delays in bonus payments, and unions threatened to call a general strike later this month.

14.   Venezuelan oil workers returned to their jobs after a brief work stoppage yesterday in the western oil city of Maracaibo.

15.   OPEC secretary general steps down, accepts Venezuelan oil position.

16.   President Hugo Chavez gave a hearty welcome to hundreds of Cuban sports trainers who plan to whip Venezuelan athletes into shape in exchange for cheap Venezuelan oil.

17.   Prices for Venezuelan oil have gone up recently, raising hopes that the industry may recover shortly.

18.   A Venezuelan oil technician was killed when soldiers tried thwarting an attempt to kidnap him and two other colleagues, the Defense Ministry said.

19.   An energy pact signed last year allows Cuba to pay for some of its Venezuelan oil imports with goods and services.

20.   Analysts say the recent disruption in Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. is likely to show up in weekly inventory data due out next week.