Toronto-listed miner Gold Reserve has filed a request with a U.S. federal court to proceed to the final sale hearing that will determine the winner of an auction for shares in the parent company of Citgo Petroleum, a Venezuela-owned refiner. The auction is contested primarily between Gold Reserve and Vitol. This legal proceeding is part of ongoing disputes involving Venezuelan assets. Separately, a lawsuit alleging fraud by ConocoPhillips against Venezuela has been filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. In the U.S. refining sector, there has been a noted increase in the average API gravity of crude processed since 2015 by 2.2 points, reflecting the growing influence of light tight oil from the Permian Basin. Additionally, the reinstatement of Chevron's Venezuelan import waiver is expected to rebalance the U.S. Gulf Coast market for sour crudes and high-sulfur residue feedstocks. Furthermore, the U.S. judiciary is set to decide on the delivery of shares related to the expropriation of Argentina's oil company YPF.