FACTBOX-Venezuela's state takeovers under Chavez

May 26 (Reuters) - Undaunted by a slowing economy, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is picking up the pace of his leftist revolution with a raft of nationalizations and an offensive against opponents.

Venezuela this week stripped Gold Reserve of rights to part of the Brisas project, making it difficult for the U.S.-based mining company to access one of Latin America's largest gold deposits.

Following are some key events in Chavez's 10-year push to build a socialist state in the OPEC member that is also South America's top oil exporter.

OIL

In 2007, Chavez's government took a majority stake in four oil projects operating in the Orinoco river basin worth an estimated $30 billion. U.S. companies Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and ConocoPhillips (COP.N) quit the country over the move and filed arbitration claims against Venezuela. France's Total SA (TOTF.PA) and Norway's StatoilHydro (STL.OL) received around $1 billion of compensation after reducing their holdings. BP Plc (BP.L) and Chevron Corp (CVX.N) remained as minority partners.

This month Chavez seized a major gas injection project belonging to Williams Companies (WMB.N) and a range of assets from local service companies.

FINANCE

Chavez last week agreed to pay $1 billion for Banco de Venezuela, a division of Spanish banking conglomerate Grupo Santander (SAN.MC), to help him channel state resources. He has said he will nationalize any bank that fails in Venezuela.

HEAVY INDUSTRY

The government paid $2 billion this year for Argentine-led Ternium's (TX.N) stake in Venezuela's largest steel mill. Chavez last year ordered the nationalization of the cement industry, affecting Mexico's Cemex (CX.N), Switzerland's Holcim (HOLN.VX) and France's Lafarge (LAFP.PA). Last week he ordered the takeover of several large iron smelters.

MINING

Chavez has long toyed with the idea of bringing the mining industry more firmly into state hands. Many basic metals companies have always been government controlled, but the president wants to extend his reach over gold mining. Venezuela has large and mostly undeveloped gold deposits.

This week the mining ministry ended two concessions at Gold Reserve's (GRZ.TO) Brisas project, making it difficult for the U.S.-based miner to develop one of Latin America's largest gold veins. Chavez has expressed his wish that Brisas and sister project Las Cristinas be exploited by a government joint venture with Russian companies.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

In 2007, the Chavez government nationalized the country's largest telecommunications company, CANTV, buying out U.S.-based Verizon Communications' (VZ.N) 28.5 percent stake for $572 million. Analysts said Verizon received fair compensation for its assets.

POWER