About that UNOCAL pipeline in Afghanistan

[HFishbine]

Is it now being built?

[NMDemDist2]

1. no, there isn't enough security and the Warlords want too much

$$$$ to let it pass thru their territories

[FloridaPat]

2. Still working on it. Seems Afghanistan has a lot of oil and gas too.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/afghan.html

Afghanistan as an Energy Transit Route
Due to its location between the oil and natural gas reserves of the Caspian Basin and the Indian Ocean, Afghanistan has long been mentioned as a potential pipeline route, though in the near term, several obstacles will likely prevent Afghanistan from becoming an energy transit corridor. During the mid-1990s, Unocal had pursued a possible natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan's Dauletabad-Donmez gas basin via Afghanistan to Pakistan, but pulled out after the U.S. missile strikes against Afghanistan in August 1998. The Afghan government under President Karzai has tried to revive the Trans-Afghan Pipeline (TAP) plan, with periodic talks held between the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan on the issue, but little progress appears to have been made as of early June 2004 (despite the signature on December 9, 2003, of a protocol on the pipeline by the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan). President Karzai has stated his belief that the project could generate $100-$300 million per year in transit fees for Afghanistan, while creating thousands of jobs in the country.

[talkinghand]

3. Nope.

As I recall, the amount of oil and gas in the area was supposedly "overestimated," precluding further development of the resources there.

I think we can safely assume that the ability to back our tankers up to the convenient supply lines coming out of Iraq due to our "adventures" there has rendered the exploitation of Afghani gas and minerals unnecessary for now.

I read it costs $1 a barrel to product Iraqi oil. This is easy pickens -- no oil company in its right mind is finding it necessary to spend billions on unwieldy projects such as the proposed Unocal pipeline.

Looks to me like the present administration took the shortcut here -- getting even more out of the deal than had the U.S. relied on the overtaking of Afghanistan alone.

The occupation of Afghanistan, in addition to the ouster of the Taliban/Al Queda factions, also provides a nice pincer effect on Iran -- when combined with the Iraqi occupation. I won't be surprised if the overthrow of Iran is next on the list.