Bush Presses Saudis To Produce More Oil

[norml]

By JENNIFER LOVEN Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

CRAWFORD, Texas Apr 25, 2005 — President Bush, meeting Monday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah, was pressing that Mideast nation to pump more crude oil to ease gas prices at the pump.

"The crown prince understands that it is very important … to make sure that prices are reasonable," Bush told reporters before the Saudi leader arrived at his Texas ranch. "High oil prices will damage markets. He knows that. We'll talk about his country's capacity."

But the president then pivoted to the domestic situation. He said Congress needs to pass a comprehensive energy strategy. "Now is the time," Bush said.






Bush's goal of spreading democracy across the Arab world also faces a difficult test with Saudi Arabia, a longtime ally ruled by absolute monarchy. Traditionally Bush holds news conferences with visiting foreign leaders, but there will be none during this visit because Abdullah rarely talks with reporters.


snip


http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=700832

[rodeodance]

1. and the dimwit press believes this crap!--'comprehensive" energy

bill is dig and drill bill or the oil industry!


....."The crown prince understands that it is very important … to make sure that prices are reasonable," Bush told reporters before the Saudi leader arrived at his Texas ranch. "High oil prices will damage markets. He knows that. We'll talk about his country's capacity."

But the president then pivoted to the domestic situation. He said Congress needs to pass a comprehensive energy strategy. "Now is the time," Bush said.

[hunter]

2. Welcome to Bush Fantasy Land!

It's a world where Saudi Arabia is a benevolent kingdom and a cornucopia of oil!

[lyonn]

14. Fantasy Land! luv it

The silly media calles it Bush's Texas Ranch, like it is for real. I call it his hide-eee hole, where he goes to act like he is normal. But, Fantasy is much better. Can't you just see do-do talking to the prince and says " ya gotta pump more!!

[Roland99]

3. Yeah...more oil will fix it...what a f*cking IDIOT we have as Pres.

All that will do is make the Saudis richer.



Oh wait..maybe he's not an idiot.




Seriously, our flaccid dollar, limited refining capacity, quantity demanded, etc. are what need to be addressed.

You can only pour so much oil through a skinny pipe.

[susu369]

4. Our brave, BOLD leader!

always looking out for us.

:sarcasm:

[DulceDecorum]

9. ... on tape.

http://slapnose.com/archives/2004/08/06/bush_wants_to_harm_america_video_clip/

According to New York Daily News, he was caught on a sticky wicket when he declared that his administration will "never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people" at a speech at the signing ceremony for a 417 billion pound defense spending bill.

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we," he was quoted as saying.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/805275.cms

[Solon]

20. I know its on the music video "SupaDubya"...

Lyrics here:

SUPA DUBYA
4o. del Tren

a new age has dawned rising from the ashes of the innocent
my dead versus your dead let's see who can get more militant
blood for blood, pound for pound, an eye for an eye
my tribal god has told me that i must murder or die

you kill ten of mine, i must kill ten thousand of yours
preemptively decapitating all those who dare to oppose
shoot the motherfuckers now, and ask questions much later
terrorist, freedom fighter, innocent bystander, instigator

it don't matter, your ass is brown, you got a towel on top of your head
you pray to a foreign god, you pray to mine or i'll shoot you dead
patriots, sidewinders, m-1's and f-16's
the most beautiful display of destruction mankind has ever seen

i'm not an invader, i came here to liberate your people
i'm carpet bombing your mosques so i can build my church steeples
yeah, freedom and democracy, baseball and apple pie
buy and consume or go bye bye bye

now who the fuck do you think you are to go against my manifest destiny
i got a mandate from my god to smite all of my enemies
look at me the wrong way and i'll put your ass on my shit list
what? you want some of this, bitch? i'll take you for a ride, with no witness

what would jesus do? fuck that, you know it's just a front
to appease the bible thumpers while i do what the fuck i want
propagatin propaganda, live in fear and i'll protect ya
i'll raise the terror alert and you know that i'm gonna check ya

what books do you read, who do you talk to, where you goin, what's your habit?
gimme all your information right now, what's your number i gotta have it
big brother ain't got shit on me, i got eyes in the back of your brain
my name is supa dubya and i've come to bring you the pain

=============

the usurping bastard child of an archaic plutocratic system
what's my fucking name..?! if it was something else you'd have missed him
playing games with poppy's cash, let's bankrupt the company make bank on the options
fuck the pension plan, fuck aunt millie, neck deep in corruption

power to the people, no the power belongs to the white men in white collars
gathering every single day to worship in the temple of the dollar
mr greenspan, mr greenspan, tell me which way the wind blows
and why are all these people jumping out of their fuckin windows?

why are all these mothers crying for children that won't return
their blood spilling in the desert while the city of baghdad burns
the black blood that feeds the empire must never stop flowing
no price is too high, we must keep shocking and awing

it's the project for the new american century, the new world order
an empire disguised as democracy, prostituted and distorted
you think this shit started the day the towers came falling down?
no, it's an old idea we've been munching on and kicking around

we've been waitin to scratch that itch for a long time in mesopotamia
even though we all know the hijackers were mostly saudi arabian
pay no mind to the lies, the shell games and deception
we're here to fight for your freedom, we're only here for your protection

i don't remember guadalcanal, antietam, normandy or the mekong
i'm sending you and your neighbor's kid to die like i'm on playstation ghost recon
playin like i'm a top gun, mission accomplished on an aircraft carrier
workin hard every day to make the world scarier and scarier

a kinder, gentler version of daddy, check this conservative's compassion
read my lips, motherfuckers, time for lights camera and action
this power trip shit gets me higher than back in the day, doin cocaine
my name is supa dubya and i'm really fucking insane

====================

i'm settin the stage for a show for which you've never seen an equal
you thought 9/11 was tight, hold up, i'm gettin ready for the sequel
whatever the cost, whatever the price to buy me four more years
a few more terror attacks, more lies to keep you living in fear

call rush, call o'reilly, get on the phone with mr. hannity
spin the web of deception so we can continue with this insanity
don't ask too many questions, deploy weapons of mass distraction
prepare the foot soldiers, it's almost time to jump into action

the second coming of the rapture, the last holy crusade
i'm smiting infidels left and right, giving them a taste of my righteous blade
the power to destroy the world right here in the palm of my hand
i'll bring you eternal salvation, by air, sea and by land

with us or against us, only two roads that you can choose
the almighty is on my side, and there's no way that i can lose
it's the coalition of the sellouts, motherfuck the united nations
i'm readin the bible and mein kampf for my divine inspiration

the ultimate corporate state, only dreamed of by mussolini
in the innermost of the inner circles, rubbin elbows and sippin martinis
in bed with ceo’s, saudi princes and israeli ministers
i serve only them and follow their orders, no matter how sinister

i'm the schoolyard bully, gimme your milk money and play my game
the only bastard on the planet gettin by on his fuckin last name
can't even pronounce nuclear missile, but i know how to pull the trigger
kick back and relax while the empire grows bigger and bigger

fuck genghis khan, fuck caesar, fuck alexander the great
i'm bigger than all those niggas, this is the perfect fascist state
don't mess with texas, motherfucker, don't mess with me or i'll blow your brains
i'm super duper dubya, this is my world and my game!!!

MP3 Here: http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/01/3358.php

[lyonn]

25. OUCH!

Speaks for itself.

[Barrett808]

5. Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy

The most critical question facing the world energy market is whether Saudi Arabia can substantially increase its oil production to meet rising world demand in the years ahead. Sparked by personal observations of Saudi oil wells which led him to suspect that some Saudi fields were in decline, Matt Simmons has created a compelling case that Saudi Arabia production will soon reach an apex, after which its production will decline and the world will be confronted with an immense and potentially catastrophic oil shortage. The factual basis of the book is over 200 technical papers published over the last 20 years which individually detail problems with particular wells or particular fields, but which collectively demonstrate that the entire Saudi oil system is “old and fraying.” Based on his analysis, Mr. Simmons asserts that sudden and sharp oil production declines could happen at any time. Even under the most optimistic scenario, Saudi Arabia may be able to maintain current rates of production for several years, but will not be able to increase production enough to meet the expected increase in world demand. Eventually, the reckoning day will come and the world economy will be confronted with a major shock that will stunt economic growth, increase inflation, and potentially destabilize the Middle East.

The book is written in a concise and engaging style, providing background on Saudi Arabia, the oil industry, world oil market, and the management of the Saudi oil resources. Mr. Simmons addresses technical issues about oil production in a clear, interesting style, providing documentation but not losing the reader in details The book is written with a strong focus and passion, and the overall sense is of a behind-the-scenes expose, akin to a 60 minutes investigative piece.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/047173876X/102-1725024-3440120

Also, check out his speeches:

http://www.simmonsco-intl.com/research.aspx?Type=researchspeeches

[lyonn]

21. Saudi oil reaches an apex - in decline

That appears to be the real problem. You hear it from all directions. The obvious solution is alternative fuel. Bush lightly touches on that and the House Bill. Alternative fuel is critical, need more than a light tough on the subject. The bs that will come from this meeting will be nauseating, deceptive, hype, talk that Bush is handling the situation and dedicated to droping gas prices. Yeah, right!

[Barrett808]

24. Not only that - Saudis appear to be damaging their fields to up production

Which will increase the depletion rate.

[hatrack]

33. Bank of Montreal's analysts now project Ghawar already in decline

And if they're right, it's game over.

"Speculation over the actual size of Saudi Arabia's oil reserves is reaching fever pitch as a major bank says the kingdom's - and the world's - biggest field, Gharwar, is in irreversible decline. The Bank of Montreal's analyst Don Coxe, working from their Chicago office, is the first mainstream number-cruncher to say that Gharwar's days are fated.

Coxe uses the phrase "Hubbert's Peak" to describe the situation. This refers to the seminal geologist M King Hubbert, who predicted the unavoidable decline of oilfields back in the 1950s. "The combination of the news that there's no new Saudi Light coming on stream for the next seven years plus the 27% projected decline from existing fields means Hubbert's Peak has arrived in Saudi Arabia," says Coxe, referring to data compiled by the International Energy Association's (IEA) August 2004 monthly report.

The Canadian bank is the latest in a line of oil opinion-makers to speak out about. Others, notably banker Matt Simmons and the head of the Association for the study of Peak Oil (Aspo), Colin Campbell, have called into question the validity of its stated reserves, supposedly 258 billion barrels.

If Gharwar, the world's biggest field, is seen to be in decline, as Coxe says, the effects could be problematic. Markets could panic, forcing prices up, creating shortages and profoundly affecting the world economy. "The kingdom's decline rate will be among the world's fastest as this decade wanes," predicts Coxe. "Most importantly, Hubbert's Peak must have arrived for Gharwar, the world's biggest oilfield." Coxe dismisses Saudi claims that the country can produce extra capacity to satisfy surging demand. He notes that Saudi promises to increase production last year failed to materialise. Aramco had pledged an extra 500,000 barrels of oil immediately and an extra 5 million bpd by 2012."

EDIT

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/08B97BCF-7BE6-4F1D-A846-7ACB9B0F8894.htm

[truthisfreedom]

6. bush is going to try to convince this guy to extract oil faster than he

already is, threatening the stability of the underground geology and thereby reducing the total amount that can be effectively extracted in the long run?

why? so he can have a couple more years of lame-duck fun emptying the treasury into his cronies' pockets, and then the crown prince can reduce the supply of oil for the Democratic President so inflation goes berzerk then?

[norml]

16. Wrong! They're cooking up ways to drive the price even higher.

Probably by invading Iran, in order to take production from the fourth largest reserve of oil off the market.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. SA is already running full-out. There is no "excess capacity."

Welcome to Peak Oil.

[megatherium]

8. A friend of mine tells me that the Saudis claim they can increase

production by 2 million barrels a day. (He used to work there, he seems to know what's going on.) But I hear on public radio some news story to the effect that the Saudis can only increase production by building new facilities, and this would take years. (And the Saudis are enjoying the higher prices.) I also read that the Gharwar field is showing signs of decline. If that's true, it's all over.

[Xenotime]

11. More oil

That will just drive up oil prices costing us more at the pumps making us more dependant. When will this administration learn? Arh!!

[Hobarticus]

26. More oil...but the price won't drop at all.

You nailed it.

Welcome to DU!!!

[newyawker99]

27. Hi Xenotime!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Lorien]

39. Check out the "peak oil" group in DU

groups. There's also a few articles here in LBN on the issue. Emphasis should be on conservation at this point, but with an oil cartel in control, it's doubtful that that will ever happen.

[megatherium]

40. thanks for mentioning the peak oil group.

I'll have to go there.

[Democrats_win]

10. Like Darth Vader bowing to his Emperor. True neocons would hate this too.

[norml]

12. Bush Kisses Man In Dress, Holds His Hand, They Walk Down Flowery Path

Here's my other thread on this.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1743487

[norml]

19. Here's another photo with them walking, holding hands.

[Mark E. Smith]

13. Please, Abdullah?

So-called President Bush groveling before a foreign prince to save his bacon and lower oil prices is just too rich. Isn't Georgie the guy who said his great relationships with the Saudis pretty much guaranteed our getting favorable prices on their oil?

More bullshit from a president who produces very little else.

[norml]

41. Georgie's relationship with the Saudis guarantees high oil prices.

It's what's in their best interest.

[LiberallyInclined]

15. what kind of press did he use...?

one like this, maybe? :



how much oil can you get out of the average saudi?
and won't most of it be olive oil anyway?

I'm guessing that this kind of thing could really piss off the arab community even further...

[aprillcm]

17. I read somewhere, where OPEC has said.

They are pumping at near capacity, and its not the supply driving up the price in America but the US economy.I can not remember where I read that :(

It would seem to me that Bush needs to move the justice department to investigate price gouging by his buddies, and pick up the phone and tell the big oil companies to lower prices or else. They are posting record profits! So its not the cost of refining driving up oil but the cost of greed. Bush is allowing his buddies to rake it in any American who doesn't believe these oil prices are a direct result of the Bush Presidency is living in a bubble and drinking lots of Kool-Aid, Bush has in many ways pushed for these prices to be this high one wonders what assets Bush has in trust and how much of those are stock in the oil companies. The encouraging of Americans to drive SUV;s is just one small thing the Bushites have done.

[Toots]

37. The US Economy driving up the price of oil

Because of the state of our economy the US dollar (which oil price is based on) has been losing value for four straight years. The dollar goes down in value means oil costs more. If we were to get our financial house in order and pay off our debt we could buy oil much cheaper than we do now. Also if we were to do something as smart as that we would be using alternative energy and oil would not be such a significant factor.

[Earth_First]

18. Is it me...

or does it always seem like Prince Abdullah's 'almost-ghoti' look like it was drawn in with a Sharpie in photographs?

Sorry, absolutely no insightful contribution to the conversation whatsoever in this post...

[dweller]

28. sharpie? or this?

:shrug:

possible insightful contribution, or not.
dp

[KittyWampus]

22. Bandar Bush Tries To Call In Some Chips...

[norml]

23. Here's a closer photo, from USA Today.

[onager]

36. Oh no...!

Oh no!
Oh no no no no no!
(Remember) walking in the sand.
(Remember) walking hand in hand.
(Remember) the night was so exciting.
(Remember) his smile was so inviting,
(Remember) and then he touched my cheek,
(Remember) with his fingertips.
(Remember) softly, softly we met with a kiss...

(I know the holding hands is cultural, having lived in the Middle East. But that song has been in my head ever since I saw the photos...)

[catmandu57]

29. Shit, where to begin?

I've heard that any increase of Saudi oil is going to be a low grade high sulpher hard to refine oil, on top of that we don't have the capasity to refine any more oil than we do at present.
The new refineries are being built in China and India, not here.
The real meeting took place Sunday when snarlin dick met to discuss how to wring the last pennies out of us. These are fucking oilmen, the only thing they're interest in is how to make a bigger profit. I think more fuel efficient cars and trucks and alterative fuels would go further in easing things but I'm just a middle aged crippled keyboard jockey what the fuck do I know?

[cliss]

30. Don't you love how he talks to Americans?

"He knows that. We'll talk about his country's capacity".
I wonder why he sounds like he's talking to kindergartners or 3rd graders.

[SammyWinstonJack]

43. He's just a condescending jerk!

We don't need the terraists to *hate* us, we have bush**! :grr:

[bullimiami]

31. right, after it was pointed out how bigmouth bush talked his crap

in 2000 about how he would talk to opec....

bingo, all of a sudden he is taking a love stroll with abdullah.

they are so full of shit is is unreal.

[The_Casual_Observer]

32. And the stock market will soar (again)

back up to 10,800 on this "great news", only to fall again in a couple of weeks.

[confludemocrat]

34. Why no Demo counter echo-chamber attacking this crap?

Look, the guy plays paddy-cake in secret meetings with Saudis who are instrumental in attacking us on Sept 11 (i.e., failed to lift a finger to stop them on their path to Sept 11, e.g. foot-dragging with Khobar Towers investigation to begin with where and when this could have been nipped in the bud), with no result, of course.

So this so-called prince only knows now that markets could be damaged by these high prices they have made so high?!

What the fuck? What took Bush so long to get with this asshole to remedy the situation, he could only wait until he was on vacation? Why isn't Bush being attacked repeatedly over this phony shit?

I have heard nothing from any Demos.
Disgusting

[wallwriter]

35. Damage Markets?!?!!

In other words, they are afraid that people who are faced with high prices will stop buying oil. God forbid anyone should reduce consumption or seek alternative forms of energy.

Translated: Bushco wants and needs dependence on foreign oil. They say it themselves.

[MontageOfFreedom]

38. Well I think it is highly more likely...

That Bush just wants to make a large profit out of the deal, so he is getting his friends in Saudia Rabia to fund more oil to squeeze out more of the taxpayer's dollars.

[hatrack]

42. This story is even better than you think

NPR's coverage of this yesterday featured Bush saying that more oil would lower demand.

Yeah, that makes sense - more oil = lower prices = decreased demand.

And this clown has an MBA? :eyes: