U.S. Energy Secretary Wright stated: “The U.S. government plans to control Venezuela’s future oil sales and use the proceeds to rebuild the country’s ailing economy. "If we control the flow of oil and the cash flow generated by these sales, we will have significant leverage. We need this leverage and control over oil sales to drive the changes that must occur in Venezuela." Wright estimates that Venezuela’s crude oil production could increase by 700,000 barrels per day in the short to medium term. The U.S. government plans to deposit the proceeds from these sales into government accounts and use them for the benefit of the Venezuelan people. This will be a massive undertaking; it is estimated that $10 billion per year will be required over the next decade to repair pipelines, pumping stations, and other equipment that have fallen into disrepair due to years of corruption, underinvestment, and neglect. Major companies have rarely expressed a willingness to undertake this task in public.