Posted on 04/17/2008 5:21:43 AM PDT by thackney
Cuban officials have rescheduled the planned drilling of the Cuban Crude Oil Strip in the Gulf of Mexico by a consortium of companies due to additional seismic work.
In January 2008, Petrobras and Companhia Cubana de Petroleo (CUPET) signed an agreement for a wide-range of operations, including exploration. Petrobras' expertise in offshore exploration has been put to good use, commented Cuban officials to the state-run media, yet more work needs to be completed before drilling can begin.
"In the Gulf of Mexico, we are doing seismic studies and our perspective is we should resume drilling in the area next year," Cuban Basic Industry Minister Yadira Garcia told Juventud Rebelde.
CUPET Director of Exploration Rafael Tenreyro drew a clearer picture of Cuba's exploration efforts, explaining to reporters the exploratory efforts offshore Cuba.
"Right now seismic studies are under way on 2,300 square kilometers and very soon three-dimensional studies will begin on 4,500 square kilometers in the Gulf of Mexico," Tenreyro said.
The consortium, led by Repsol YPF, was set to begin drilling in 2008. CUPET, which signed exploration agreements with seven different companies to perform exploration operations in 28 of the 59 GOM blocks in Cuba's "economic exclusion zone."
The decision to postpone drilling in the Gulf of Mexico was announced on the day that Cuba also stated it had produced its first 1 million tons of petroleum in 2008, a feat that gets the country closer to its goal of 4 million tons produced for the year.
"The progress of the program is very positive, and it says a lot about the results we are obtaining from the seismic studies and new exploration that we are continuing to make," Garcia said. "This makes us optimistic that we can continue working in the area of petroleum in Cuba."
The Strip lies offshore Cuba to the north of the island's west end. Garcia told Juventud reporters that U.S. companies are also interested in getting into the action on the strip.
"There have been meetings with businesspeople who have been asking and looking for information; in addition there is information that is public and accessible," said Garcia. "They are interested in working in Cuba but they are being blocked [by the United States' sanctions against Cuba]."
Estimates of Cuba's hydrocarbon potential include 4.6 billion barrels of oil and 1 Tcf of natural gas. The United States Geological Survey estimates that the North Cuba basin could hold as much as 9.3 billion barrels.
Will someone kindly explain to me why it’s all right for Cuba to drill for oil in its coastal waters, but not for the United States to do so?
Because their marxists are smarter than our marxists.
Not necessarily so. Our marxists, otherwise known as democrats, have more loyalty to Cuba than to the USA.
And will they "slant drill" and suck out all of our oil which our government is "saving"? Or, more precisely, will they siphon off the natural gas which may make our oil deposits unrecoverable?
"The Cubans will make me uber wealthy beyond a Rothschild's wildest dreams"
Because their Marxists will be slant drilling and drawing the oil from our side of the line before they are done, thus ensuring that the US cannot ever use the oil in its own Florida territorial waters. Our Democrat party Marxists will bask in the glow of having helped fellow travelers while claiming they are preserving the environment in the US (and assuring ever higher gas prices). sarc/ rant off
Well, at least Mel Martinez (RINO-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) won’t have that nasty oil money going to their state. The oil platforms off the Keys will be making money for Cuba instead.
And Floridians, who voted for these two losers, shouldn’t whine about the economic hard times.
FL and CA have managed to keep the rest of the USA from getting the energy that is off their coasts. Wonder how the tourist business for FL and CA will be this summer with gas at $4/gal.?
Lack of Natural Gas and the related pressure does not make oil deposits unrecoverable, just more expensive to pump out.
Check with the Comrades in the Democrat Communist Party I believe it is covered in their manifesto.
That is not sarcasm man, it is the truth!
Agree. I should have stuck with “rant off”, but what I said I think is true.
The larger question is why the hell we Americans passively allow a gaggle of environmental extremists and their bottom-feeding trial lawyer pals to make the gears of our economy grind and smoke on $3 a gallon gasoline? It's long past time for us to tell these bastards that our freedom and prosperity are more important than a bleeping snail darter.
Regarding the technical ability of Cuba to use sophisticated drilling and extraction techniques - my understanding is that they are bringing in international oil conglomerates including Chinese companies so the expertise will be imported.
It’s amazing, isn’t it? Every country in the world is allowed to do whatever it pleases without regard to environmental consequence..... except for the one country that tries harder than nearly every other one to protect the environment - that’s us. Which nation has the worst air pollution? - China. Which countries have contributed most directly to overfishing? - Russia and Japan. The drinking water in much of Africa and Asia is contaminated with human and animal waste - but, hey, there’s no money in suing poor people, and all the lawyers are here anyway (except when they’re on plush air-conditioned Range Rover safaris to make them feel good about themselves by looking down on the lesser specimens outside). /rant
Perhaps we can hire them to come drill off the coast of Florida.
Bump for later reading
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