UK and US in joint effort to secure African oil

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1084958,00.html

The government is helping the US to secure a guaranteed supply of oil from new sources in Africa and elsewhere, official documents obtained by the Guardian reveal.

According to an internal memo to George Bush and Tony Blair, cooperation between the two governments has already delivered "immediate... substantial benefits".

The decision to act was taken at a private summit at the president's Texas ranch in April last year. The joint initiative may be formally announced by Mr Bush and Mr Blair at their summit in London, which starts next Wednesday.

snip from the end of article>

The report on the initiative - known formally as the US-UK energy dialogue - also addresses another oil-rich part of the world, saying that the UK and US "have noted the huge energy potential of Russia, central Asia and the Caspian".

"In our discussions on how to move forward in approaching Russia and the Caspian/ central Asian countries, we have concluded that we have similar political, economic, social and energy objectives".

Both governments have given strong support to a BP-led consortium to build a huge and strategically important pipeline from Azerbaijan to Turkey, to keep vast quantities of oil out of Russian hands.

the UK and US "have noted the huge energy potential of Russia, central Asia and the Caspian".... pipeline from Azerbaijan to Turkey, to keep vast quantities of oil out of Russian hands.

They don't call it The Great Game for nothing.

When can we expect the White House admission "Alright, already: of course it's about oil!"

OPEC Membership

NOTES:
b/d barrels per day
cu m cubic metres
Source OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2001
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CONTROLLED BY THE U.S.:

United Arab Emirates (UAE):

Population - 3,280,000
Value of petroleum exports - $22,414,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 97,800,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 2,114,200 b/d
Crude oil exports - 1,786,700 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Djibouti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & others
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Kuwait:

Population - 2,275,000
Value of petroleum exports - $14,975,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 96,500,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 1,947,000 b/d
Crude oil exports - 1,214,100 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Djibouti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & others
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Qatar:

Population - 580,000
Value of petroleum exports - $6,964,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 15,204,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 632,900 b/d
Crude oil exports - 605,500 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Djibouti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & others
====================================

OCCUPIED MILITARILY BY THE U.S AND U.K.

Iraq:

Population - 23,600,000
Value of petroleum exports - $12,676,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 112,500,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 2,593,700 b/d
Crude oil exports - 1,710,200 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Djibouti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & others
====================================

THREATENED BY THE U.S.:

Iran:

Population - 64,583,000
Value of petroleum exports - $21,420,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 99,080,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 3,572,000 b/d
Crude oil exports - 2,446,000 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Djibouti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & others
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Venezuela: coup attempts backed by U.S. have failed to date

Population - 24,600,000
Value of petroleum exports - $20,300,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 77,685,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 2,791,900 b/d
Crude oil exports - 1,964,700 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Columbia, Cuba, U.S.
====================================

UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE BY THE U.S.:

Saudi Arabia:

Population - 20,810,000
Value of petroleum exports - $62,981,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 262,697,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 7,888,900 b/d
Crude oil exports - 6,035,900 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Djibouti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & others
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Algeria:

Population - 31,040,000
Value of petroleum exports - $11,790,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 11,314,000 barrels
Crude oil production: 776,000 b/d
Crude oil exports - 441,500 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Europe, Egypt, Liberia, Djibouti,
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Indonesia:

Population - 213,585,000
Value of petroleum exports - $8,944,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 5,123,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 1,214,200 b/d
Crude oil exports - 599,200 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Japan, South Korea
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Libya: Has recently settled with survivors of PanAm flight

Population - 5,402,000
Value of petroleum exports - $10,880,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 36,000,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 1,323,500 b/d
Crude oil exports - 987,600 b/d

Nearest U.S. troops: Europe, Liberia, Egypt, Djibouti

===================================
IN GEOGRAPHIC AREA THAT IS BECOMING MORE VOLATILE:

Nigeria: In an area that is becoming increasingly more unstable

Population: 130,296,000
Value of petroleum exports - $17,188,000,000
Proven crude oil reserves - 31,506,000,000 barrels
Crude oil production - 2,017,600 b/d
Crude oil exports - 2,089,400

Nearest U.S. troops: Liberia, Europe, Egypt, Djibouti,
===================================