Could be! Prensa Latina reports:
Su Tu Nau, a new oilfield, was recently discovered offshore the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Tuan, bringing to seven the number of oilfields found in the area.
The Ministry of Industries informed that the oilfields in the zone include Ruby, Rang Dong, Su Tu Den, Su Tu Trang, Su Tu Nau, and others with reserves already in production.
Experts indicated the area has large reserves of oil and natural gas, with the Su Tu Den, for instance, producing 90,000 barrels of oil daily since 2003.
Mind you, this is small compared to Venezuela’s likely output, within a decade, to over 5 million barrels a day (currently it’s at 3.3 million). But it is worth noting that the CIA is currently tracking proved oil reserves…and Vietnam currently ranks 42rd in the world (to Venezuela’s 7th.)
However, those stats are all dated 2004 at the latest. A lot can change…
You may also note that Iran ranks ahead of Iraq on the CIA’s list. Is all the current nuclear tut-tutting over Iran such a coincidence, in light of that–and recalling all the similar tut-tutting over Saddam’s nonexistent WMD just three years ago?
Anyhow, as long as Vietnam remains relatively low on that list they have nothing to worry about. But should a truly colossal offshore reserve turn up, they might just have more in common with Iraq than even all the current comparisons would suggest!
Meanwhile, Venezuela watches her own back for reasons I need not elaborate on here. Hugo Chavez is buying military boats and cargo planes from Spain, come hell or high water–and looks likely to get his next fleet of fighter jets from Russia or China if the US goes on reneging on its old contract to service the current F-16 fleet. No doubt that is also good for a propaganda offensive…or several.
Yeah, tell me it’s all just a coincidence. Maybe I’ll believe you when all the world’s oil runs out.
