Cuba strikes oil

[Donagh]

You can just see George Bush and his cronies inventing new 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' to pin on the Cubans.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7675234.stm

Cuba claims massive oil reserves

Cuba currently produces 60,000 barrels of oil a day

The state-owned Cuban oil company says the country may have more than 20bn barrels of oil in its offshore fields - more than double the previous estimate.

Cubapetroleo's exploration manager said drilling in the offshore wells would begin as early as the middle of 2009.

Such reserves would place Cuba among the top 20 oil producing nations.

Cubapetroleo's estimates are based on comparisons to known oil reserves found within similar geological structures off the coasts of the US and Mexico.

The company said Cuba had undersea geology "very similar" to that surrounding Mexico's giant Cantarell and Poza Rica oil fields in the Bay of Campeche.

'More data'

Cuba's share of the Gulf of Mexico was established in 1977, when it signed treaties with the US and Mexico.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) recently estimated that as much as 9bn barrels of oil and 21 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could lie within that zone, in the North Cuba Basin.

Map showing area of North Cuba Basin

However, Cubapetroleo exploration manager Rafael Tenreyro Perez said his company's estimate was higher because it had better information about Cuba's offshore geology.

"I'm almost certain that if [USGS officials] ask for all the data we have, their estimate is going to grow considerably," he told a news conference in the capital, Havana.

If correct, Cuba's oil reserves would be almost the same as those of the US - 21bn barrels, according to the Oil & Gas Journal - and nearly twice the size of Mexico's - 11.7bn barrels.

It could generate unprecedented wealth for the Communist-run state.

Mr Tenreyro said he expected the first production well to be drilled before the middle of next year by a consortium led by the Spanish oil company, Repsol, and that more wells could be started before 2010.

Cuba currently produces 60,000 barrels of oil a day.

It depends on Venezuela for an additional 93,000 barrels a day, which it receives at preferential rates in exchange for the services of thousands of Cuban doctors working in Venezuela.

[Square Ball]

Jebus, thats another reason for the Yanks to invade

[Orior]

I believe it took approximately one billion years after the earth was born for enough oxygen to be created to allow life as we know it to develop.

Burning more and more fossil fuels will help accelerate our extinction. Cheerio!

[ziggysego]

I'd say that the US will more than likely relax the traded restrictions on Cuba now and foster a new 'relationship'.

[Zapatista]

This is great news for the Cubans. Unlike ourselves I'd say the Cubans will use this resouse to better the lives of Cubans rather that sell it off in tent.

[orangeman]

This is great news for the Cubans. Unlike ourselves I'd say the Cubans will use this resouse to better the lives of Cubans rather that sell it off in tent.

Shell to Havana Hasn't the same ring to it at all.

[Zapatista]

This is great news for the Cubans. Unlike ourselves I'd say the Cubans will use this resouse to better the lives of Cubans rather that sell it off in tent.

Shell to Havana Hasn't the same ring to it at all.

What about 'Texaco to Mexico'?

[orangeman]

This is great news for the Cubans. Unlike ourselves I'd say the Cubans will use this resouse to better the lives of Cubans rather that sell it off in tent.

Shell to Havana Hasn't the same ring to it at all.

What about 'Texaco to Mexico'?

Much, much better ! 

[Hardy]

Castrol to Castro

[Orior]

The best I can do is.....


Derry 1969 - "Throw well, throw shell"

Havana 2009 - "Hurl Cuban, hit Reuben"


Reuben is the illegitimate son of one of Castro's c**k-eyed generals. He only has to look at girls to get them pregnant.

[magpie seanie]

He only has to look at girls to get them pregnant.

Sure there's no fun in that.

[muppet]

This is great news for the Cubans. Unlike ourselves I'd say the Cubans will use this resouse to better the lives of Cubans rather that sell it off in tent.

Shell to Havana Hasn't the same ring to it at all.

Shell to Guantanamo................it isn't a literary masterpiece but boy does it read well.

As an aside Neol Dempsey recently proposed that underachieving public servants should be fired. I couldn't agree more. Given that as recently as 2006 he signed away two gasfields (one off Sligo and one off Donegal) for free he might make an example of himself. The licensees will only pay corporation tax on any profits and get the gas for free. As in Mayo they will sell it to us at market rates so we might as well be getting it from Mugabe for all the good it does us.

[magpie seanie]

Whereabouts off Sligo? Am I going to have worry about untreated gas being pumped at high pressure past my house? Would be handy to know.