U.S. COULD EASE OIL DILEMMA BY DRILLING IN CUBA\u27S VAST RESERVES, BUT THERE\u27S A CATCH

As petropolemics continue to occupy a central position in US presidential campaign rhetoric, Cuba\u27s director of exploration for the state oil company Cubapetroleo(Cupet), Rafael Tenreyro, offers an alternative to the partisan bickering about offshore drilling. If the US were serious about seeking to increase its production, and officials simultaneously wished to avoid the environmental politics of placing platforms in its own coastal waters, the solution would be to drill on the Cuban side of the maritime limits. Cuba says there is plenty there.Recent Cupet estimates are that there could be as much as 20 billion barrels of oil in its offshore fields. If that is so, Cuba is set to find a place among the world\u27s top 20 producing nations. This is more reserves by half than the US Geological Survey (USGS) has published, but Tenreyro said his estimates are based on better data. He told reporters, We have more data. I\\u27m almost certain that if it [USGS} asks for all the data we have, their estimate is going to grow considerably