Afghan Oil Pipeline Given Go Ahead

[lib2DaBone]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2017044.stm

Trans-Afghan Pipeline Vital Statistics
Description: 48-inch (4-feet) conduit for natural gas from Turkmenistan with option to run a parallel oil pipeline for oil from Kazakhstan and northern Afghanistan

Capacity: 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per annum; oil flow to be determined

Route: 950 miles from Turkmen-Afghan border north of Herat southeast to Arabia Sea at Garadar, Pakistan

Cost to Oil Consortium: $1.9 to $2.7 billion (estimated)

Cost to U.S. and Allied Taxpayers: $4.5 to 6.5 billion for infrastructure and humanitarian assistance to maintain security within Afghanistan

Construction Period: 2003 to 2007

Total Net Profits: $1 to 1.5 billion per annum

Afghanistan Profits (Transit Fees): 8 percent, or $100 to $300 million per year

Projected Ownership: Unocal Corporation-led consortium for 30 years, then reverts to Islamic State of Afghanistan

Project History: Originally conceived by Bridas Corporation (Argentina) in 1993, which dropped out in 1996 when Unocal established relationship with new Taliban government. Promoted by Unocal until 1998 missile strikes against Al Qaeda. Dormant until 2001. Revived either prior to or immediately at start of U.S. bombing campaign in October 2001. Memorandum of Understanding signed May 30, 2002 in Islamabad between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Formal financing not yet arranged

[Deja Q]

1. Oooh, goody! I recall Louis Farrakhan ranting about this almost 7 years ago...

What's he going to say now?

:party:

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Are 30,000 troops the price to be paid for this pipeline?

[librechik]

3. This story is from 2002--

got me going there, tho

[lib2DaBone]

6. Yes..old news... the project is behind schedule..

[XemaSab]

19. I checked the date too

:P

[Taverner]

4. The Spice Melange must flow...

:eyes:

[anonymous171]

5. Can we just get that fucking thing built so we can get out?

[librechik]

8. no. cuz once it's built we have to protect it from sabotage.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. Hmm... Construction period: 2003-2007

How'd that work out?

[sandnsea]

10. Great for Bushco

The pipeline work continued while US attention was diverted to Iraq.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

13. There is no pipeline.

None. Nada. No pipeline. Nobody is going to build a pipeline through the middle of that insane war zone.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. I beg to differ.

"It turns out that, in April, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India (acronymically TAPI) signed a Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement to build a U.S.-backed $7.6 billion pipeline. It would, of course, bypass Iran and new energy giant Russia, carrying Turkmeni natural gas and oil to Pakistan and India. Construction would, theoretically, begin in 2010. Put the emphasis on "theoretically," because the pipeline is, once again, to run straight through Kandahar and so directly into the heartland of the Taliban insurgency."

Source:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/335023

also see current threads about this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7125995

more details of cost, etc.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7124568

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

16. They can talk about it all they want.

The Taliban will blow it up and kill anyone associated with it. It's not going to happen any time soon.

[sandnsea]

9. I think everyone is aware of this

and Karzai's relationship to Unocal. Why would we need to invade Afghanistan for the pipeline when the Taliban agreed to let us build it? It would make more sense to, oh yeah, take our eye off of Afghanistan and turn some other country into the bad guys; exactly what Bushco did.

[FarCenter]

11. A better route would be southwest across Iran to the Straits of Hormuz

Maybe the Chinese will build it.

[chill_wind]

12. Speculations of more recent (these are from 2008) about "2010."

Unlike us, The Canadians and foreign press actually have interest and questions about the possibility.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080619/afghan_pipeline_080619/20080621?hub=Specials

Aprodex

http://www.aprodex.com/pipeline-opens-new-front-in-afghan-war-1028-n.aspx

The Nation

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/335023

[slipslidingaway]

14. knr nt

[Mari333]

17. and away we go

follow the money, honey.

[Wilms]

18. .