- On January 10, Swiss-based Manas Petroleum Corporation
broke the news. Gustavson Associates LLC's Resource Evaluation identified
large prospects of oil and gas reserves in Albania, close to Kosovo. They're
in areas called blocks A, B, C, D and E, encompassing about 780,000 acres
along the northwest to southeast "trending (geological) fold belt
of northwestern Albania."
-
- Assigned estimates of the find (so far unproved) are
up to 2.987 billion barrels of oil and 3.014 trillion cubic feet of natural
gas. However, because of their depth, oil deposits may be capped with a
layer of gas. If so, Gustavson calculates the potential to be 1.4 billion
barrels of light oil and up to 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Further,
if only gas is present, the discovery may be as much as 28 trillion cubic
feet. In any case, if estimates prove out, it's a sizable find.
-
- In its statement, Gustavson reported: "The probability
of success for a wildcat well in a structurally complex area such as this
is relatively high (because) it is in a structurally favorable area (and)
proven hydrocarbon source and analogous production exists only 20 to 30
kilometers away."
-
- Currently, the Balkans region has small proved oil reserves
of about 345 million barrels, of which an estimated 198 million barrels
are in Albania. Proved natural gas reserves are much larger at around 2.7
trillion cubic feet.
-
- In December 2007, Albania's Council of Ministers allowed
DWM Petroleum, AG, a Manas subsidiary, to assist in the exploration, development
and production of Albania's oil and gas reserves in conjunction with the
government's Agency of Natural Resources.
-
- This development further underscores Kosovo's importance
and the cost that's meant for Serbia. Since the 1999 US-led NATO war, it's
been all downhill for the nation, the region and its people:
-
- --Kosovo is part of Serbia; at least it was; since 1999
it's been a Washington-NATO occupied colony stripped of its sovereignty
in violation of international law;
-
- -- it's been run by three successive US-installed puppet
Prime Ministers with known ties to organized crime and drugs trafficking;
-
- -- it's the home of one of America's largest military
bases in the world, Camp Bondsteel; the province/country is more a US military
base than a legitimate political entity;
-
- -- its part of Washington's regional strategic objective
to control and transport Central Asia's vast oil and gas reserves to selected
markets, primarily in the West;
-
- -- on February 17 during a special parliamentary session,
Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence; the action violates international
law; Kosovo is as much part of Serbia as Illinois is one of America's 50
states; to no surprise, Washington and dominant western countries support
it; opposed are Serbia, Russia, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Malta,
Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus;
-
- -- might makes right; the issue is a fait accompli; the
February 17 declaration ignores EU division pitting one-third of its 27
members in opposition; and
-
-
- -- unilateral western-supported independence mocks the
1999 UN Security Council Resolution 1244; it only permits Kosovo's self-government
as a Serbian province; the resolution recognizes the "sovereignty
and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;"
only a new UN resolution in compliance with international law can change
that legally; nonetheless, it happened anyway on another historic day of
infamy when Washington again trashed international law and the rules and
norms of civil society.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Mondays
from 11AM to 1PM US Central time for cutting-edge discussion of world and
national topics with distinguished guests.
|
