U.S. Cautions Europeans to Avoid Oil, Gas Deals With Iran

[Bhaisahab]

U.S. Cautions Europeans to Avoid Oil, Gas Deals With Iran
By Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 1, 2007; Page A12

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/31/AR2007013102166.html

The Bush administration is warning European oil and gas companies against investing in Iran, trying to head off a push by Tehran to attract new investment by international petroleum giants.

In the past two weeks, the administration has met with European oil company executives about the Middle East, and during one session a senior State Department official cautioned that the situation with Iran was "hot and is going to get hotter," one executive said.

An executive from another major European company said, "The administration is putting the full-court press on foreign companies and is going all out to impress upon them that it would be a mistake to do anything with" Iran.

Despite the administration's pressure, however, many of the world's biggest oil companies were expected to attend a meeting in Vienna today and tomorrow held by National Iranian Oil Co. to drum up interest in 12 onshore and five offshore blocks. Executives from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Russia's Lukoil, China's Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corp. and Austria's OMV will give presentations.

CONTINUED AT LINK ABOVE

[Selatius]

1. The US government loves to dictate to others what they can or can't do, doesn't it?

Try telling this to the Russians or the Chinese. I'm sure they're even less thrilled to see the US government interfering in their own affairs by trying to tell them what to do or not do.

[bdamomma]

12. Europe hopefully will stand against the US, they know this

regime we have is totally unstable.

[trashcanistanista]

2. Didn't Shell

just cut a deal with Iran either today or yesterday? (sorry I don't have a link)

[magellan]

5. Royal Dutch Shell, is that the same thing?

Big Shell Iran deal could bring U.S. sanctions - Jan. 29, 2007

Officials say they will likely review Shell's deal with Spain's Repsol to develop Iran's biggest natural gas field.

January 29 2007: 5:41 PM EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A preliminary multibillion-dollar deal to develop a giant Iranian natural gas field signed by Royal Dutch Shell would likely trigger a review by U.S. officials to see if it requires sanctions, a State Department official said on Monday.

Shell on Monday said it signed a deal with Iran in conjunction with Spain's Repsol to develop South Pars, the OPEC member's biggest natural gas field, despite growing U.S. pressure not to invest in Iran.

U.S. officials at some point would likely review the deal to see if sanctions should be triggered by the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters at a press briefing.

"The U.S. has on the books various laws with respect to investment in the Iranian oil and gas sector," McCormack said."

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/29/news/international/shell.reut/index.htm

[951-Riverside]

3. I take it we're goin' into Iran n/t

[lovuian]

7. Bingo

its nice for Bush to warn the companies before the people

[jamesinca]

4. Yet Halliburton, under Chenney made deals with Iraq

or something like that. Din't hear any bitching going on about that did ya? Hypocrites!!!!!

[ribrepin]

6. Bush has spoken and you cheese-eating surrender monkeys had better get on it

Incidentally, I need your troops and I don't want any lip this time. Just saddle em up and send em out to Arabia. :sarcasm:

[bahrbearian]

9. LOL

[Delphinus]

8. Why?

So the US doesn't have to share the goods with anyone else.

The madman in the white house is leading us down a very dangerous path.

[screembloodymurder]

10. Could it be this is about whose currency will be used to buy oil?

Iran wants to sell their oil for Euros rather than dollars.

[no_hypocrisy]

11. Hmmmmm, you take away Iranian oil from the market and the price of

the remaining oil for sale increases. Hmmmmmm, who would be the beneficiary(ies) if that happened? Saudi Arabia, the U.S., Russia.

So yeah, Europe is going to boycott a country with which it has no issue and pay more for something they need in the process.

Somehow, I don't see it.

[bdamomma]

13. I wonder if those European countries, Russia, China and Venezuela

will unite against this disgusting regime we have, maybe China should say "pay up".

[Vidar]

19. It's hard to make Russia, under Putin, look good, but Bush is

pulling it off.

[classysassy]

14. Mr Bush sez

buy my Iraqi oil.

[Javaman]

15. Because the fields will be glowing in a few weeks. nt

[Tiberius]

16. Exactly

Since Bushco has no allegiance to anyone but lackeys and worldwide imperialist corporate interests, it is only polite to inform them that Iran is about to be bombed.

[rman]

17. Especially interesting now that Russia is thinking about creating a gas OPEC with Iran -

Given that Europe is very dependent on Russian gas supplies.

Before long, dealing with Russia = dealing Iran.

[jwirr]

18. Since they have been getting their oil from Iran for a long time did

*ss say where they were supposed to get it from? Russia will be glad to ally themselves with EU even more. It is no doubt not oil that EU is worried about - anyone say nukes?