Y'all knew that Russia snookered us out of the Caspian Gas pipeline deal...Didn't you?

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05/13/news/nation/12_25_485_12_07.txt Russian, Central Asian leaders strike crucial natural gas pipeline deal

By: ALEXANDER VERSHININ - Associated Press Writer

TURKMENBASHI, Turkmenistan -- The leaders of Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan reached a landmark pipeline deal on Saturday that will strengthen Moscow's control over Central Asia's energy export routes. The deal to build a pipeline along the Caspian Sea coast to ship Turkmen natural gas to Western markets via Kazakhstan and Russia is a blow to U.S. and European efforts to secure alternatives to Middle East oil and gas that would be independent from Russian influence.

"We are opening the Caspian route at the request of Turkmenistan," Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the announcement of the deal in the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian shore. Putin said the new pipeline's annual capacity may reach "at least" 20 billion cubic meters of gas by 2012, while Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko told reporters that it could eventually carry 30 billion cubic meters a year.

There was no official word on the new pipeline's cost, but the ITAR-Tass news agency said that a 2003 estimate put it at around $1 billion back in 2003. The deal comes amid increased competition for Turkmenistan's vast gas reserves since the death last year of President Saparmurat Niyazov, who had signed deals to build export pipelines to power-hungry China.

Turkmenistan is the second-biggest gas producer in the former Soviet Union after Russia, and its gas resources are playing an increasingly important role in the geopolitics of the region. Russia controls the only export routes for Turkmenistan's gas and the main pipeline for Kazakh oil exports.

The United States and the European Union have lobbied hard for a route under the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and Turkey, bypassing Russia. While both Turkmen President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov and Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev signaled Saturday that the trans-Caspian pipeline may also be considered in the future, the latest deal means that Russia would control the bulk of Central Asian energy exports.

Also on Saturday, the three presidents announced an agreement involving Uzbekistan to revamp the entire Soviet-built pipeline network that carries Central Asian gas to outside markets via Russia.


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Even though I don't really root for Russia either, part of me feels quite happy that one thing Cheney set his heart on has fallen through completely.

because we were snookered before. Of course, if we weren't reliant upon oil it would be irrelevant but then so would Cheney and the rest of the crooks.

It's their sphere of influence. It was ridiculous for us to meddle in it. While we were making ourselves look like idiots over the Caspian, we basically lost South America. We're the pitiful laughing stock of the world, except we're dangerous the way fools are dangerous.

I think the plan was to route it through Pakistan/India or perhaps Turkey..but then who knows anymore. we are losing "friends" faster than we can count.

The "former" Soviet satellite countries will always have an allegiance to Russia before "outsiders".

and then of course China has MONEY, and they need gas & oil in a big way, so of course they are out & about BUYING what they need now and will need later. They can afford it. We cannot.

Would you rather sell your car to a guy standing there with cash in hand, or to the guy who "thinks he can get a loan"?

China not only has money, it's next door. As is Russia. We were delusional to interfere.

As for the loyalty of Russian satellites, you're being funny, right?

why would they want to try a whole new "devil":)

...

BushCo has totally destroyed their relations. Global Dominist are nobodies friend.

Neoconservative (read: US domination) businessmen were involved heavily in the exploitation of Russia in the 1990's, as well as with the Russian oligarchs who were getting rich off everyone else during the same time.

Putin and the KGB people are basically at war with them.