Oil Exploration and Cuba

[TBF]

*Socialist Progressives Group*

This story from August indicates that oil exploration near Cuba has been an issue in the past (just doing some searching to figure out why the US is suddenly willing to normalize relations)

No oil drilling for now off Cuba
Posted on August 19, 2014
by Timothy O’Hara, The Key West Citizen, August 16, 2014

Street in Havana, CubaFlorida Keys residents concerned about oil exploration off Cuba can breathe easier as plans for drilling have been put on hold.

Two experts on Cuban politics and oil exploration confirmed media reports that Cuba has shifted its focus away from offshore oil exploration, and instead is concentrating on renewable sources of energy and improving output from onshore wells.

A lack of interest by foreign companies for further deepwater exploration prompted the change, Reuters reported this week.

Texas-based oil and energy consultant Jorge Pinon and Dan Whittle, Cuba program director for the Environmental Defense Fund, confirmed the reports.

More here - http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/lacp/2014/08/no-oil-drilling-for-now-off-cuba/

[jwirr]

1. Okay NOW I begin to understand why now.

[TBF]

2. It is all I've found so far -

And we KNOW there has to be an independent economic reason for this - it is not happening out of the goodness of our heart. One, focus is all of a sudden off torture. Second, something down there is wanted. When we left off before the revolution this is what was happening:

New York Times
January 8, 1958. p. 88.

Oil Exploration Pushed in Cuba As Major Companies Get Rights

Special to The New York Times

HAVANA—The search for petroleum in Cuba, which brought a rush of wildcat oil operators to the scene and created a near boom in 1954 and 1955, has settled down to scientific exploration and test drilling.

There has been no big oil strike here despite the fact that 100,000 of holes has been drilled in the Island since may 1954. The shallow wells drilled in the small fields of Camaguey and Havana Provinces produced only 50 to 200 barrels daily.

According to the Cuba Petroleum News Digest of Havana, production of petroleum in Cuba was 57,163 barrels in 1954, 381,824 barrels in 1955 and 543,121 in 1956. In the first half of 1957 193,160 barrels was produced. Some drilling is still going on in the known fields but the production is declining.

Many of the independent oil companies have turned their leases over to major companies. These companies plan to drill several deep test wells this year.
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/cuba/NYT-1-8-58a.htm

There could be other things going on as well - this is just what I've found so far. I encourage others to do some digging as well ...

[jwirr]

3. That is the beginning. I actually favor normalizing relations with Cuba but have a hard time

believing that my reason is the same as the politicians.


My reason: I remember when Castro went to Eisenhower for help with a rather repressive dictator and was refused aid.

[TBF]

4. I favor it too -

we've been beating up on that little island for far too long. Just wondered what the driver was. Maybe some trade implications as well? We know Obama loves TPP and maybe he wants to drag them into that too. Capitalists are always looking for new labor sources to exploit.

[jwirr]

5. Oh, I hadn't even thought about TPP. Another reason.

[Rocky888]

6. I told my husband this morning

I wonder what it is that some billionaire here in the U.S. Wants from Cuba's pristine inviroment. And here is the answer. Hopefully, Cuba is smart enough to know that our capitalist have destroyed every other pristine inviroment there is, in the name of democracy.

[TBF]

7. Right -

it may be something newer that I haven't found yet. Sometimes there's a mineral that's used to make cell phones or something along those lines.

[joshcryer]

8. I do not have the impression it was "sudden."

I think they've been working on some exchange and normalization verbiage for some time now. I think the massive sink in oil prices is the reason that things came to a head, though it appears the US gave slightly more concessions in the way of the prisoner exchange, it probably would not have happened at this point in time had oil prices not sunk to massive lows. Cuba can no longer rely on Venezuelan oil (which it sold at a profit), and letting the US in a bit is helpful in that respect.

[TBF]

9. Thanks for the perspective -

I figured things must be going on behind the scenes as well. I was just curious - this is not a bad thing at all in my view. More than anything I am thinking about when I will be able to visit! Only 90 miles from Miami. I'm sure many other folks are wondering when they can go as well.

[joshcryer]

10. Remember when he shook Raul's hand at Mandela's funeral?

I think that's when it started.

Saw a post on another site that laid it out, lots of moments like that, will post it when I get on my computer later.