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Politics : Right Wing Extremist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (18284)	10/15/2001 11:32:34 PM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

Either way certainly makes more sense (at least on the surface) than what we're currently doing. And I believe both ideas should be seriously dialogued and modelled by the experts in our energy department. I also agree, I would much prefer purchasing oil from Russia than many of the Middle Eastern countries who aren't even attempting to open their systems to democracy. I would also like to revisit the entire U.S. off-shore drilling ban. There has got to be a way in this day-and-age, given our technologically sophisticated knowledge, to drill for oil with very little risk off the coast of California, as well as in Alaska. We pay a price for not allowing energy extraction in our own county. Until very recently, we may have been living under a false assumption the price was not that high.

To: Ilaine who wrote (18284)	10/15/2001 11:45:39 PM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

Something else just occurred to me when thinking about what the future would hold if these middle eastern countries were suddenly prevented from selling oil to the U.S. They would still be there, selling their oil to other nations, so the thugs of the region, it seems to me, would still be getting very wealthy. Just not as wealthy as they are now getting (perhaps), and not directly from U.S. consumers. Then the question keeps coming up in my mind. How are we going to create the environment around which these nations move toward democratic principles? Seems similar in many ways to the situation in China. Should we disengage economically in order to bring about change in that nation, or continue to trade and dialogue, while using what leverage we can to encourage a shift in direction? Tough questions. And it seems to me with each country you could make a case for a slightly different approach.

To: Ilaine who wrote (18284)	10/16/2001 4:28:08 PM
From: MulhollandDrive	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

I've been extremely impressed with Don Evans, Secretary of Commerce. First oil loaded from Kazakh-Russia pipeline (UPDATE: Adds quotes on other projects final two paras) By Patrick Lannin MOSCOW, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The operator of a new $2.5 billion pipeline to bring oil from Kazkahstan to Western markets via Russia said on Monday the first crude had been loaded and saw the pipe gaining further steam by the end of the year. The line, operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), is the first to be completed since the fall of the Soviet Union to ship oil to Western markets from the Caspian Sea, where reserves are estimated to be similar to those of the North Sea. It comes onstream just as oil cartel OPEC is worrying about low oil prices, already hit by a slump in world demand. ``I think that life has begun,'' Chevron vice-president Richard Matzke told reporters at a news conference to announce the first shipment. CPC, led by Chevron (NYSE:CHV - news) and involving Russia, Kazahstan and other top multi-national firms, was originally intended to open in June but customs problems and technical hitches delayed it. CPC General Director Sergei Gnatchenko said the first tanker had been a trial loading, but was confident the pipeline and oil terminal was now fully operational. ``Today we had the first loading, tomorrow we will have the second,'' he said. ``The first loading is always a trial run.'' As well as Chevron, Russia and Kazakhstan, CPC involves Gulf state Oman and oil firms LukArco , Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: SHEL.L) and the Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company (NYSE:XOM - news). ``The Caspian Pipeline Consortium will ship one million tonnes of oil by the end of this year, and next next year CPC plans to ship 20 million tonnes,'' Gnatchenko added at the briefing, also attended by U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans. Evans, visiting Moscow with a delegation of U.S. businessmen, hailed the first loading. ``The CPC sends an important message to the world that the United States, Russia and Central Asia are cooperating to build prosperity and stability in this part of the world,'' he said. Initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to be 28.2 million tonnes a year (around 560,000 barrels a day). Its estimated final capacity will 67 million tonnes a year. OTHER PIPES ON HORIZON The Caspian is a focus of diplomatic intrigue, with the sea itself, which five states border, not yet demarcated. The states are Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan. Friction over territorial rights in the sea intensified this year when Iranian gunboats chased off an Azeri vessel which was exploring disputed waters. The United States, seeking to increase its influence in the region, has also been promoting routes west which avoid Russia. The main one to receive its backing is a pipeline costing around $3 billion from the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. BP has so far been one of the main proponents of the Baku-Ceyhan line, saying it sees it as economically viable and beneficial to any companies or countries involved. LUKOIL deputy head Dzhevan Cheloyants said his company was still examining BP's feasability study on the pipeline. ``We are now looking at these options and they look better than the previous ones,'' he said of BP's study.