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| Home Front: Economy | |
| Venezuela considering using Panama pipeline | |
| 2004-12-30 | |
Venezuela plans talks with Panama next week on a proposal to pump oil through a Panamanian pipeline to the Pacific in order to cut shipping costs to China, the Venezuelan foreign minister said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez denied that new agreements signed last week to sell Venezuelan oil to China are part of any strategy to decrease oil exports to the United States, the No. 1 buyer of Venezuelan crude.
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| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #4 The Trans-Panama pipeline (Petroterminal de Panama, S.A.) is located outside the former Canal Zone near the Costa Rican border, and runs from the port of Charco Azul on the Pacific Coast (near Puerto Armuelles, southwest of David) to the port of Chiriqui Grande, Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean. It was opened in October 1982 as an economical alternative to the Panama Canal for transporting Alaskan oil across Panama en route to Gulf Coast ports. More than 2.7 billion barrels of Alaskan crude oil were transported through the 81-mile pipeline at peak rates exceeding 860,000 bbl/d. However, the pipeline was closed in April 1996 after Alaskan oil shipments to the Gulf Coast declined with falling Alaskan oil production and increased oil consumption on the west coast of the United States, especially in California. In addition, the decision to allow Alaskan oil to be exported outside the United States reduced the incentives to ship Alaskan oil to the Gulf Coast. The Trans-Panama pipeline re-opened in November 2003, and began shipping over 100,000 bbl/d of Ecuadorian crude oil to US Gulf ports. |
| Posted by: crazyhorse 2004-12-30 8:04:05 PM |
| #3 Sounds like the same pipeline near David,Panama that was built by MK.Can't remember if they can heat the oil or not.But it handled Alaskan crude,and most tankers have heating coils. |
| Posted by: crazyhorse 2004-12-30 7:59:25 PM |
| #2 I'm not sure the existing pipelines can handle the Venezuelain crude very well because it tends to be somewhat gooey. They may need a pipeline that has a higher diameter. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-12-30 7:45:26 PM |
| #1 LOL! Makes perfect sense. Let's see.... a pipeline thru Columbia.... or ship it to Panama then thru a pipeline to another tanker... Wait! I know! Just in time delivery of crude to the PRC! We'll use great big airliners! Like 747s only biggers and carrying oil! It will bring China closer! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-12-30 7:31:02 PM |