Why has the American Public not realized that Saudi Arabia's oilfield is running dry?
456049
That is why we are at war now to get control of other oil in other places!!!
307299
Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia claims to be in possession of 260.1 billion barrels of oil reserves as of 2003, about 24% of the world's proven total petroleum reserves. It ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum and plays a leading role in OPEC. Moreover, the proven reserves increase gradually as more oil fields are discovered, unlike most other oil-producing countries. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 40% of the GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 35% of the GDP comes from the private sector. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries to raise the price of oil in 1999 to its highest level since the Gulf War by reducing production. Saudi Arabia announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies in 1999, which followed the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth may constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.\n\nIn recent years, Saudi Arabia has experienced a significant contraction of oil revenues combined with a high rate of population growth. Per capita income has fallen from $25,000 in 1980 to $8,000 in 2003, up from about $7,000 in 1999. The decline in inflation-adjusted per-capita income from 1980 to 1999 set a record, being by far the worst such decline suffered by any nation-state in history.\n\nRecently, with higher oil prices, however, Saudi Arabia's oil revenues have increased dramatically. Saudi Arabia's budget surplus has crossed $28 billion (SR110 billion) in 2005. The Tadawul (The Saudi stock market Index) (TASI) finished 2004 with a massive 76.23 % to close at 4437.58 points. Market capitalization was up 110.14 % from a year earlier to stand at $157.3 billion (SR589.93 billion), which makes it the biggest stock market in the Middle East.‏\n\nSaudi Arabia officially became a WTO member in December 2005.
592203
Haliburtons and Carlyes concerns with the oil fields, and the pipeline to the Indian Ocean. America has been funding the rebuilding of the oil fields and the pipeline, while our soilders are loosing their lives daily. What a price for such a few to profit over the deaths of hundreds of thousands.
726905
The situation in Iraq reminds me of trying to hold water in your bare hands.  The present government is like a Mirage in the desert, and will surely fall, maybe as soon as this week if the Shiites threat holds up.  If we leave Iraq will collapse.  If we stay it will collapse slower, but still collapse.  The idea that fundamentalists, no matter of what stripe, will have control of Iraq's oil I'm sure is making people sweat all over the world.  Oil must be reasonably stable.  To accomplish this end,  Bush is going to have to open this up and really include the rest of the world in discussions, military personnel, planning, and execution,  if there is any hope at this point  Let us hope that it is not too late for some form of reasonable solution to be worked out.
193951
Oil officials 10, 20, 30, and 40 years ago said AT THAT TIME that we were going to use up what was known to be total global "proven oil reserves." We keep finding more total oil reserves every few years than was thought to exist worldwide a few years previous - kind of funny logic, isn't it? If we keep finding more oil that exceeded known reserves just a few years back, then what are we so concerned about? Interestingly enough, at the same time we keep finding more proven oil reserves, people keep screaming more and more that we are running out of oil - who is right? History says we can keep finding oil, so maybe there is a regenerative process unknown to the scientific community - they can't possibly know everything about everything. \n\nOnly one thing is certain in SCIENCE: it IS ALWAYS CHANGING. Geologists have been getting better year after year at locating oil reserves, and yet so little is known about oil reserves other than location. What is understood to be fact now will be ridiculed in the future by new theories - which have already happened. They thought we couldn't use most crude oil in the early 20th century because nobody knew about cracking or synthesis of crude products, so they just dumped unusable crude products that were not immediately usable as gasoline or diesel. We have come very far since that time in chemistry alone. \n\nIsn't it interesting that what is vaguely understood by a few scientists is continuously spouted as "truth" by those who know far less. SCIENTIFIC FACT IS CHANGEABLE, meaning it can be tested, and if a different result occurs, then the theory changes, resetting what is known as "fact." Oil may be replenishable, and may not necessarily only come from prehistoric plants and animals as current thought suggests. You raise an interesting argument about oil resources, and only the future will let us know for sure - but there will be a definitive answer. Now, who is ready for the truth?
192391
Will kid, it will be along time coming,President Richard M Nixon had quite allot of wells caped in the 70's Saving them as reserves for the faucher. And there are several undrilled wells to be drilled.We don't need Aarika oil,It just makes money for the Bush family,and there crone's. When the time Com's we can use synthetics,Alcohol burns rill good.NASCAR has bin using it for years.And NANSA has bin using hydrogen for year's as well.
143856
Mni...PLEASE! Conspiracy my A$$!\n\nThe Bush family is an oil Empire. They are close friends with many Saudi VIP's. They ARE profiting from the Iraqi war, and when a no-bid contract is awarded, it ain't because someone is giving a great price...somebody is getting their pockets lined. Who might that be?\n\n\nThat ain't no F'ing conspiracy, buddy!
490108
There's four times more discovered oil in the ground not being used than this is in currently being drilled.\n\nThere's enough oil in the United States that if it were all drilled we wouldn't need to import any oil from anyone.\n\nNext time you see some assclown liberal be sure to thank them for the $3 per gallon gas.
409632
Oil is non-renewable.  So it will run out but NOBODY knows when.
138511
I am for the war and I am U.S. citizen.  I have been 100% behind it from the beginning.  Also, we never went into this for the oil.  Do people not watch the news?  Oil prices have been insane.  If we are taking all this oil, then why are we having to pay so much for it?
984203
GOOD QUESTION! Many are over-rating the importance of oil in this region when there is enough oil in our emergency reserves and under the Alaskan Wildlife Preserve to make America self-sufficient beyond the expected need for petroleum based energy. The oil is, however, an important natural resource for those in the middle east and with several of those nations supporting terrorism and nuclear power, that makes for a nasty combination that needs to be carefully monitored!
529185
Ok, maybe I would be a better person to ask this question since I actually work in the industry finding the stuff. Seems to me some people have made up they're own minds without much knowledge of the industry.\n\nAs one guy has pointed out, yes as it takes millions of years to from and the amount we have used thus far is greater than that being made naturally. \n\nHowever, what people fail to realise is that its the larger discoveries which for the past decade has been in decine due to the price of oil. As such, oil companies were reluctant to spend money in exploration because of the decreased profit they would make. Since Bush decided to invade Iraq, the oil price shot up and now exploration is booming. More discoveries are being made, and production is up.\n\nAlso as you have mentioned there are places which have yet to be discovered. I recently was working for a company which did an exploration well which they had been planning for 20 years! Long time planning if you ask me, but the reason it took so long was because the techonolgy avaliable was not around at the time to explore it. We can only explore within the capabilities of current techonolgy. Not only that there are vast areas of the world that have yet to even be siesmically survey'ed, for example the Pacific Ocean, big huge expanse of water, how long do you think it would take to map the sub surface geology?\n\nAs for your third part of your question, there is such a thing as extended reach drilling, where (as the name suggests) they drill long sections and could quite easily tap potential reservoirs without damaging sensitive environments. Such drilling goes on in the UK.\n\nAll in all no the oil is not running out, these next few years are going to see and peak in the production of oil since hte industry started.\n\nP.S. Removing the oil from the ground doesnt in any way shape or form cause volcanoes as the guy above me suggested, that is mearly ill' education!
299625
This country needs to start becoming more self sufficient when it comes to oil supplies.  We have vast oil reserves both in Anwar and other places in the USA.  Sooner or later we must lose our dependency on fossil fuels completely but until then we at least need to end our dependency our foreign oil.  We stopped drilling during the 70s because of concerns with the environment.  Our technology has advanced enough now that I am sure we could drill and refine oil with out destroying our country.
790609
What a mess! USA, Saudi, Saudi, Turkey, Iran, Syria all looking to control the Iraqi oil, the US. sure has a lot to answer for, the instability is has created will cause problems for many years in the middle east, was this the intention? maybe it was, oilmen love high oil prices, arms manufacturers, and military suppliers love war. This catastrophe was predicted, but ignored. Now no-one can predict what will happen next, but you can sure there will be no peace in the region. The Bush regime will back the Saudis as they are like one big family, maybe Saudi approves/ helped develop US. policy, whatever happens the Shites will unite, and if they are bombed they'll unite more quickly. The US. will continue to guard their stolen oil fields, until their war funding is cut off, and when they are forced to leave it will be a free-for-all.
1153245
Why do people make this so complicated?!\n\nIts easy, if you consider the geo-politics:\n\nSaudi Arabia has been on a knife-edge for years. It has a pretty iffy ruling class and zero democracy. It has a large and growing fundamentalist movement that wants to see the House of Saud brought down. Its probably only a matter of time until it succeeds. \n\nSaudi Arabia has the largest oil reserves in the Middle East (maybe in the World). It is located south and west of Iraq, which separates it from Iran. \n\nIf Saudi Arabia fell to the shi'ite fundamentalists (likely) the West would lose its biggest source of oil. Worse, it would come under the control of the country with the third largest oil reserves and a powerful animosity to all things Western - Iran. In between Iran and its new acquisition, Saudi Arabia, would be Iraq, which has the secoond largest oil reserves. \n\nSo, if Iraq falls to the fundamentalists it falls to Iran, so does Saudi Arabia and, to all essential purposes, the West has lost the Middle East and all its mineral wealth. Worse, the West with its rabid oil dependence would  have to give whatever Tehran demanded for the oil (and that may not be in monetary terms alone).\n\nSo Iraq is a buffer betweeen Iran and Saudi Arabia on the one hand and an ongoing major source of oil on the other. It is the critical domino. If it falls they all fall, and less strategic, but otherwise friendlty places like Jordan would go too.\n\nFinally, in a World where Tehran rules a shi'ite fundamentalist oil-funded empire that extends from Pakistan, through the other 'Stans. including Afghanistan and oil rich Kazakhstan, all the way to the Middle East, the African coast and beyond, where would the West be? Its power would be broken and the new World order would emerge so fast - China, India and much of Asia one side, the West the other and the new Islamic Empire in the middle - with the oil.\n\nSo  - its all about oil. Surprised? Course not ... its simple really!\n\nPS: Never believe any crap about freedom, democracy, WMDs etc. No US Government ever gave a sh1t for such things - its all about power, votes, oil corporations and World dominance. All of that adds up to who owns the oil fields.
39009
Bu$h Sr, defended the Saudi oil when he defended Kuwait from Iraq. Bu$h Sr. has many Saudi friends and his bussiness is oil. Cheney's bussiness is oil and government contracts to protect oil. Iraq was a Arab problem and the Saudis got Bu$h Sr. and Jr. to solve there problem. The Saudis also got the American tax payers to pay for solving a Arab problem. We need to mind our own bussiness and American tax payers have no business engaged in nation Building. Not one more American should give his life to Nation build in Iraq.
530973
Well up until this point it wasn't much of a problem. As populations grow so does the demand and although there is technology out there and the knowledge of conservation very few folks want to do much about it. The other side of that coin is this. All these other countries trade grain and other commodities we make for there oil and without the oil we would have no need for them and that scares them to death. they would have nothing to trade. If we stopped tomorrow buying foreign oil the price of oil would plummet. We get around 31 percent of our oil from the middle east and south America. the rest we get here and off shore wells and from Canada which gives us a huge chunk of it. The United States feeds the world when it comes to grain with the exception of rice. If we didn't need the other countries oil they would go broke and starve. That's why we are so worried about them and they us.\nAnd in case you are wondering we produce 51 percent of our own oil.