Now, nothing will be flowing out for quite a while but just the idea of this will send world oil prices down. If even just a trickle can start to flow, watch prices plummet on speculation it will become a flood.
Koffi Annan is happy because he sees it as an opening for the U.N. but the one who controls the well heads is actually driving this train. You have doubts? Bagdad bob, the Ba'ath sock-puppet, is not happy about this at all and he knows what a loss of sovernty this is.
A pause also allows us to secure fields in the north. These are less important because it will take longer to get them operational and oil flowing out of them as opposed to in the south.
Of course, this is probably the plan to begin with.
We over-ride their media and impose one run by opposition Iraqis. The interim authorities announce a resumption of oil sales. Life begins to go on.
All the while, Baghdad is surrounded.