OK, so they have re-tooled. I agree with all you said, except that Russian crude and Venezuelan crude are not that dissimilar. In any case, if they are now going to do Russian, then that indicates some sort of agreement, behind the scenes, so to speak.

That implies economic forces in play, not political ones.

IMO, transparency is important now.

So:

[AI] Venezuelan crude is considered "heavy sour", which is a neutral term for its properties. It's not inherently "good" or "bad," but its suitability depends on the refinery. It is good for refineries equipped to handle heavy, high-sulfur crudes, while it is bad for refineries not equipped for it. Heavy sour crude: This refers to its density (heavy) and high sulfur content (sour). Heavy crude is thicker and has a higher sulfur content than lighter crudes. Refining process: Refineries that are specifically designed to process heavy, sour crude can handle it effectively. Processing challenges: Refineries not built to process heavy, sour crude will face challenges and require significant modifications or may not be able to use it at all.

This illustrates it, I guess.