Pipeline politics

Hindustan Times ^ | 4/10/2002 | Fred Weir

[a_Turk]

The coming Caspian oil boom could break the stranglehold of Persian Gulf countries, and the Saudi-dominated cartel OPEC, on the world's petroleum supplies. But it threatens to make Russia the master of world oil markets. In US’s view, there is a problem: Russia controls the only means of transporting Caspian oil to the world—-the Transneft pipeline network—worth billions of dollars in transit fees.

"No one in Washington is ready to accept that Moscow will control the world's oil tap", says Sergei Kazyannov of the Institute of National Security Studies.

US oil majors have championed two alternate routes, but until recently both have been impossible to build due to regional instability.

One was through Afghanistan. With US forces in the area, the time for this line may have arrived, says Nazib Baykov of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations .The other was from Azerbaijan to Turkey, which was stymied by the Armenia-Azerbaijan war.

Last month US forces began arriving in Georgia. This June, Western oil majors will begin work on the $3-billion Baku-Ceyhan line, and Russia's control of Caspian oil will become a fading fact.

[a_Turk]

LOL! All the dumb excuses to date also hinted that some folks did not want Turkey to be the only alternative to Russia. Funny when all are puckering around us.. Strange that folks still fear what we might do if we had the leverage! O well. They are probably right. Especially if it were up to me..

[a_Turk]

ping

[TomB]

"No one in Washington is ready to accept that Moscow will control the world's oil tap", says Sergei Kazyannov of the Institute of National Security Studies.

That seems to be a fallacious statement. With the Caspian oil flowing, a splintering OPEC, and the eventual ouster of the Castro-friendly Venezuelan president, it seems like it is becoming a buyers market.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

fyi

[XBob]

seems like everyone is forgetting the reason for clinton's yugoslav war, in addition to distracting for Monica and his impeachment, he wanted the place safe for the caspian oil pipeline through Serbia to Trieste.

[Mortimer Snavely]

A pipeline from Baku through to Adana will get lots of hard money into the region. That will be good for everyone. Solid currency means economic and political stability.

[WaterDragon]

smarty, of COURSE wars include lots of reasons other than just wanting our enemies dead. And of COURSE if the war presents other opportunities, we will take advantage of them.

As far as Turkey having leverage, why not? Why would we fear that? Greater prosperity in Turkey strengthens Turkey's democratic tendencies. Not likely mullah-supported petty tyrants will rake in all the profits there.

[patriciaruth]

The route to Turkey is the one the Bush administration has favored. We'll rely on you, a_Turk, to keep relations between U.S. and Turkey cooperative and friendly.:-)