More oil comes to the U.S. from Latin America than from any other region

[Judi Lynn]

Monday, August 18, 2003


More oil comes to the U.S. from Latin America than from any other region

www.tucsoncitizen.com/story_images/081803a1_oilbox-1


More oil comes to the U.S. from Latin America than from any other region - the Middle East included.

Oil: The Latin American Connection is the result of an eight-month project involving 12 reporters working in five countries. (snip/)

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=local&story_id=081803a1_oilbox&PHPSESSID=a872a02e2f220f7292c63482646fc015

(Sorry, I can't get the image to open in the post, but the image link works.)

Suddenly it's easier to see why the _Bush thugs thought they would just GRAB Venezuela through a coup, rather than honorably negotiating with Hugo Chavez. Heck, that would take too long, and he'd probably want to look out for the poor of Venezuela, which he has promised. That would mean less for the American big oil bidness interests. Can't have that.

[Droopy]

1. That surprised me

I figured we were more dependant on the middle east. But I still think oil was a major reason for invading Iraq.

[Minstrel Boy]

3. the thing to remember

is that Middle East Oil production will peak far later than any other region. Even though Canada is the US's leading oil importer, Canadian oil production peaked years ago, as did America's. So strategically, in an age of dwindling petroleum reserves, controlling the Middle East is of paramount importance, because it has the most and will run out last.

[PericlesJr]

4. Everything You Said And More

Matt Simmons, friend and advisor to the Smirk and his malicious minions and prominent investor and financial analyst within the petroleum industry had this to say via satellite telephone at the 2003 meeting of the Association of the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) held in Paris, France in May of this year: "He believes that the production numbers vs. world aggregate demand indicate that global oil production is peaking this year. He goes on to say that the Persian Gulf, namely Saudi Arabia will have to bear the burden of meeting world demand as the oil fields in South America, the North Sea, and Canada slide more steeply into decline. Right now if I am not mistaken the Persian Gulf region supplies roughly 30% of the demand; as the effects of peak oil production manifest themselves more prominently, the Persian Gulf will need to bear 50% of the aggregate world demand in the coming decades.


Simmons refers to Saudi Arabia itself as the "Promised Land" of the world's remaining reserves of conventional oil. The architects of U.S. foreign policy knew ever since the end of WWII that Saudia Arabia was and would be extremely important to strategic interests. As the world's supply of oil becomes ever more scarce look to some very serious geopolitical consequences to arise. I am thinking that, god forbid we could have the threat of nuclear war. Petroluem is not only an important source of energy for machinery but allows humanity to more or less sustain and feed a population of 6 Billion people when the planet is only capable of sustaing a population of 2 Billion under normal circumstances; it is what William Catton referred to in his book entitled "Overshoot" as "Phantom Carrying Capacity". The Phantom Carrying Capacity of petroleum and its by-products give the illusion to most americans that our overall high standard of living is sustainable indefinitely and it is of course not sustainable indefinitely.

And hey kids, as I have mentioned before, North America is experiencing a natural gas crises at the present time; that too will peak in production in the coming years.


Best Wishes

PericlesJr

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Interesting...

been away from the numbers for a while, and things have changed.

Top 10 import countries:
http://www.ott.doe.gov/facts/archives/fotw246.shtml

And some more charts:
http://www.public-i.org/Latam_Importsl_tables.htm

There are breakdowns around somewhere of each of the Persian Gulf countries, and others, like Nigeria, Russia, and Indonesia, which are, or could be, major suppliers. just can't be arsed at the moment to dig them out.