The low oil price has created a such a negative spiral in the economy of VZ that soon enough they will not be able to get it out of the ground .

Accumulating debts are getting so large the rigs will stop , being unable to sustain themselves economically.

The untapped gold is the vehicle to get things going providing the resources necessary to the depleted coffer of the Venezuelan treasury.

WAKE UP CHAVEZ WE CAN HELP !!!

NEW YORK, Jan 29 (Reuters) - U.S. oil driller Helmerich & Payne (HP.N) said on Thursday that Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA owed it nearly $100 million and that it had begun to idle drilling rigs there.

So far, two of Helmerich & Payne's 11 rigs in the OPEC member's oil fields have ceased operations, and that number would rise to five by the end of February as the current work contracts expire.

"Absent any improvement of receivable collections, the remaining rigs would probably become idle by the end of July this year," Helmerich said in its quarterly earnings release.

On Tuesday, PDVSA seized a rig owned by Ensco (ESV.N) after the U.S. company halted operations there.