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Exxon, Afghanistan and China

Posted By: UselessEater
Date: Thursday, 20-Sep-2001 09:05:27

Turkmenistan is one of those republics that sprang out of the "collapse" of communism. It borders Afghanistan, and has the worlds fifth largest gas reserves, and potentially huge oil reserves. It has a foreign debt of over $2 billion, but has refused to accept assistance from the IMF. 90% of foreign investment is related to the oil and gas export industries. There had been a hard attitude of the Turkmenistan against foreign investment, but it has recently agreed to make foreign investment easier. And that is what is interesting. Look at the maps (Figures 1 and 2 at bottom of the page) provided at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/caspgrph.html And check the tables 1 to 5 for reserves and projects. Afghanistan is a definite route for oil and gas pipelines to Pakistan, and India (this is the CentGas project). But, what I found interesting was that there had been a project to evaluate the feasibility of a pipeline from Turkmenistan to China (see table 5 from link above for potential sales). Involved in that project is EXXON! So 1. Turkmenistan makes foreign investment easier 2. Exxon considers transporting oil and gas from Turkmenistan to China. At http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/turkmen.html (about 2/3 way down) there is a report that the results from the feasibility study of this Turkmenistan - China pipeline were apparently unfavourable. It just struck me that there was Exxon wanting to transport oil and gas from Turkmenistan to China and there's Afghanistan right in between them, having borders with both. Is it possible that Exxon wants a direct pipeline from Turkmenistan to China through Afghanistan?

Articles In This Thread

Exxon, Afghanistan and China
UselessEater -- Thursday, 20-Sep-2001 09:05:27

BUSH'S PIPE DREAMS WILL COME TRUE
HimCrucified -- Thursday, 20-Sep-2001 15:40:15