7. Jalen: How does oil affect politics in the world?
Oil affects politics because it is a tool people can trade with. Since oil is
abundant in Arabian Peninsula, these countries can sell it to other countries like
America. This puts them in power of the economy.
In Nigeria in 1956, oil was discovered in the Nigerian Delta. Big oil companies
all over the world wanted it. Nigeria became an independent country from Britain.
The government became a federal republic. The federal government and the state
governments had quarries over who owned the oil. The military took over the
government and a civil war started. During this rule, the oil companies have kept
the money from reaching the Nigerian people. The Nigerian people have protested
the oil companies. Some rebel groups have resisted the oil companies by tapping
the oil lines and stealing the oil. The rebel gangs use the money to supply weapons
to arm the rebels. Nigerians have a democratic government now, but the oil
companies still control the oil flow. 1
Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia is in the middle of the Arabian Desert. But it lies on one
of the biggest oil reserves in the world. Abqaiq is a target for terrorists. The
terrorists don't like the Saudi Arabian government. They think the royal family in
charge of the country is corrupt. They also believe Western countries and oil
companies have too much control of the government. Terrorists tried to blow up
the Abqaiq oil plant in February 2006. 3
Electric fences and armed guards protect the plant. Planes fly overhead
making sure no one is sneaking up on them. The plant is key to the Saudi
government. Without it, the economy will collapse. Terrorists have already have
already attacked other oil cities killing foreign workers. The terrorists have tried to
take hostages but didn’t work. 3
8. Jalen: How does oil affect miners?
When the economy is bad, oil miners have trouble finding money to dig.
Miners rely off of
Notes/Facts:
--The largest oil field in the United States is Prudhoe Field in Alaska.
--The changing of oil from an organism (plant) to a molecule (carbon) takes at least
1 million years, if not longer.
--The United States is the largest consumer and second largest producer of oil in the
world.
--The first successful offshore oil well was built off the coast of Summerland, Santa
Barbara County, California in 1896.
2
Top 5 Crude Oil Exporters to the United States
Country Millions of Barrels per Day
Canada 1.9
Saudi Arabia 1.5
Mexico 1.2
Venezuela 1
Nigeria 0.9
Bibliography
1.)
http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/article?urn=urn%3Asirs%3AU
S%3BARTICLE%3BART%3B0000294082
2.)
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=oil_home-basics
3.)
http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/article?urn=urn%3Asirs%3AU
S%3BARTICLE%3BART%3B0000278992
Pictures:
1.)
"Oil: Nigeria's Curse." SIRS. SIRS, July-Aug. 2009. Web.
.
2.)
U.S. Energy Information Administration. "EIA Energy Kids - Oil (petroleum)." EIA.
EIA Energy Kids. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.
.
3.)
Horn, Geoffrey M. "Cool Careers: Oil Rig Roughneck--In the Hot Zone." SIRS. SIRS,
2008. Web.
.