US military on the scent of oil

The Pentagon hopes that its plan, the Global Posture Review, when fully implemented, will allow for rapid, tailored responses to contingencies that could arise from any one of a number of “vital national-security interests”. However, two of these circumstances are paramount: countering any new outbreaks in the “global war on terror” and reliable access to energy resources.

Oil: What’s Russia Really Sitting On?

In Russia’s main oil-producing region in western Siberia, proven reserves represent just 18% to 24% of all oil in the ground, in contrast to about 45% in Western oil-producing regions such as Alaska and the North Sea. But as Russian oil companies adopt technologies, such as horizontal wells and computerized reservoir management systems, the estimated recovery rates are being revised upwards.