About the Author

Richard Cochrane is trained in chemistry and metallurgy but is far more interested and practiced as a political and fund raising consultant, writer and amateur historian. He grew up in a Navy family and with his two younger brothers carried on its 500+ year tradition of naval service to Great Britain and the USA then enjoyed a career with one of the largest advertising and public relations agencies working with numerous Fortune 500 companies and many of America's premier educational institutions. He maintains friendships and acquaintanceships around the world. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

See All Posts by This Author

T. Boone Pickens on Iraq: ‘We leave there with the Chinese getting the oil’

October 25th, 2009 • Richard Cochrane
Email This Post Email This Post - Print This Post Print This Post - Subscribe

oil-tankerIt is bitterly ironic that a leading energy developer said the United States has been excluded from Iraq’s revived energy market.  From the very start of the Iraq war critics chanted  it was “all about the oil.”

 

Now T. Boone Pickens told Congress that U.S. companies were losing opportunities in the Iraqi crude oil and natural gas sectors to competitors from China, Russia and Europe

.

The senior executive said the United States could lose all influence in the Iraqi oil sector after the U. S. military withdrawal in 2011.

“They’re opening them [oil fields] up to other companies all over the world,” Pickens told the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus on Oct. 21.

“We leave there with the Chinese getting the oil,” he said.

Pickens urged Congress to demand a U.S. share of Iraqi oil exploration and development contracts. If Congress does so then it is “all about the oil.” Once again and maddeningly America has poured treasure and blood leaving the spoils to others.

In 2009, Iraq awarded its first oil contracts to foreigners, selecting British Petroleum and China’s state-owned CNPC. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips have been competing with Russia’s LukOil to develop Iraq’s West Quran oil field.

While Pickens view is profound it narrowly leaves open the fundamental issue of whether or not America’s rescue of Iraq from Kuwait and then overthrown of Saddam Hussein has strengthened or weakened America. If Picken’s question is selfish then this one if too. But, if the answer is “no” about Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else then it is a stupid thing to do – period. Sometimes selifhshness is a good tand right hing. Afterall having Russia, British Petroleum or anyone else pumping Iraqi oil and selling it to thje U. S. would be the height of abject stupidity.

Post a Response

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture.
Anti-Spam Image