The judge tasked Special Master Robert Pincus, with overseeing a 30-day topping period for rival bids, urging "greater emphasis on price and lesser emphasis on certainty" in the final choice presented to the court. A final hearing to conclude the sale is scheduled for July 22. In late 2022, Stark launched the auction of shares belonging to CITGO's parent company, PDV Holding (PDVH), to satisfy creditor claims against Venezuela. Most of the debt stemmed from international arbitration awards granting compensation to corporations that had assets nationalized by the Venezuelan state in the 2000s. The court accepted 18 claims totaling US $21.3 billion, with firms set to be compensated on a "first come, first served" basis. Crystallex ($1.0 billion), Tidewater ($80 million), ConocoPhillips ($1.3 billion) and O-I Glass ($700 million) are the first on the list. The bidding process restarted in January following Pincus' recommendation of a controversial bid from vulture fund Elliott Management in late 2024.