“The oil reserve in deep waters (Gulf of Mexico) is estimated at between five and 20 million barrels which, in any case, would allow Cuba to stop being an oil importer to become an oil exporter,” the article reads.
Although this event could be encouraging for Cuba, there is no doubt that a new campaign against the Revolution is taking place now under the excuse that drilling operations would affect the security of the Florida, in the event of an oil spill like the one that occurred last year in the British Petroleum platform.
As expected, the anti-Cuban mafia has reacted nervously, with congress people such as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, president of the House Foreign Relations Committee, who has submitted three draft legislations against companies that do business with Havana to undertake the oil and gas exploration.
As noted in a recent Round Table of the Cuban radio and television by commentator Reynaldo Taladrid, “these intentions would deny U.S. visas to executives of these entities that would cooperate with Cuba, along with other arbitrary actions, though the real purpose is to continue hurting our economy. “
For instance, Rep. David Rivera, co-sponsor of the draft legislations and a supporter of the traditional anti-Cuban elements, alleged the dangers of oil spills in the drilling projects planned by island, and he even anticipates that under current U.S. blockade laws the United States would not provide assistance if any accident happens.
In fact , as Boris Volkhonsky said in his article, posted on The Voice of Russia, these legislators are concerned that when Cuban economy can develop with the project thus making it more difficult to put an end to what Washington calls “tyranny.”
The explorations will begin next September by Spain´s Repsol along with Norway´s Statoil and a unit from India´s ONGC by using a Chinese platform called Scarabeo 9.
This means that U.S. companies will be overlooked by their direct competitors in Europe, China and India – as the very blockade imposed by the imperialist power on the Caribbean island prevents them from doing just any kind of business with Cuba.
Just to clear out any doubt, a Reuters wire dated in Washington on June 3 reads that “Spanish Repsol-YPF told the United States that it will to comply with US environmental standards when performing drilling in Cuban waters this year and allow American officials to inspect the platform, said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. “
After the huge oil spill last year in the Gulf of Mexico, the United States fears that Cuba could not undertake safe oil drilling in deep waters, the wires reads as it reveals a the interventionist campaign now underway to also cast doubt on the responsive capacity of the Revolution, and its prestige.
But a cable by the Cuban News Agency (ACN) dated in Havana last June 7, said that Cuban specialists were trained in safety and environment as part of their preparation to start exploratory drilling in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the island, in the Gulf of Mexico.
For several days representatives of various Norwegian agencies taught three seminars to 120 managers, officials and technicians involved in the oil industry.
Manuel Marrero, senior oil and gas specialist with the Ministry of the Basic Industry, explained that this training is vital to undertake the work in deep waters and ultra deepwater in the coming months.
Currently, international regulations established for this kind of operations are very strict in order to preserve the environment and prevent accidents such as the one occurred in the British Petroleum platform. Rafael Tenreyro, from Cubapetroleo Union, said that his entity in cooperation with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment are taking actions to avoid any impact on the environment.
Translated by: Daysi Olano
